Bound By Hate (Book 1 in the Bound Series)
by chello8893
Summary: Levy is a demon hunter. Gajeel is a half-demon. Although neither of them know it, they will become closer than they ever thought possible, and Gajeel will lead Levy straight to her parents' killer-the one she vowed to kill in order to avenge their deaths. Unfortunately for Levy, the demon she has been seeking for so long may be the only one she can't bring herself to kill.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Long ago, demons plagued Earthland. They terrorized the land with powers beyond that of what normal humans could defeat, so they were easily overcome by these beasts. As a result, humans began training themselves to fight the demons. The resulting warriors were called demon hunters, and they specialized in techniques to effectively kill demons. Banding together to form demon-hunting organizations, hunters quickly took back the control of Earthland, and drove the demons back into hiding. Every once in a while though, a brave (or stupid) demon would come out of hiding and cause havoc. It was the job of demon hunters such as myself to kill them and maintain peace in the mortal world.

My name is Levy McGarden, and I am a member of one of the most powerful demon-hunting organizations in the kingdom of Fiore—Fairy Tail! The hunters in my organization are some of the most powerful hunters in the entire kingdom. Although they are known for causing just as much havoc as the demons sometimes, they are still like a family to me—just as Fairy Tail is my home.

Orphaned at the age of four because of a demon attack on my home village, I was found and taken in by the master of Fairy Tail, Master Makarov. I grew up in the organization, so demon hunting practically ran in my veins. I dedicated every waking hour to researching demons and training how to kill them in the hopes that one day I would be able to find the demon which had killed my parents. Then I would be able to seek vengeance for their deaths by killing it.

I never would have imagined that the day I finally found the demon I would be so hesitant to pull the trigger. I had prepared twenty years for that day, but when it came, I simply froze. All the hours of relentless training seemed to be forgotten in one quick second, and my resolve cowered away as though I were that four-year-old child once again.

I stared into the eyes of the demon responsible for bringing me so much sadness, and I couldn't even move. The gun in my hand seemed so foreign and heavy, and I found myself dropping it to the ground. I think I was more in shock than anything. I couldn't believe how horrible the fates had been, and that it seemed as though they still weren't finished with the onslaught of grief they continued throwing at me.

I remember falling to my knees as tears left warm tracks down my face and eventually dripped to the ground. I never cried. I had made a vow the day my parents died that I would only ever cry tears of happiness. However, I seemed to have lost control over anything my body did as I continued staring at the face of the creature I hated the most.

As it stalked towards me, I knew that I would soon join my parents in death. I couldn't make myself move, let alone fight it, so I had no chance of returning to Fairy Tail the victor. _At least it will be over_. I thought to myself, smiling slightly. _I won't have to fight anymore._


	2. 1: The Dragon Slayer

I yawned as I watched the clouds above me slowly drift by. The setting sun had turned the sky a brilliant orange color, and the clouds appeared almost pink as the wind carried them away. I had been lazily watching them from my comfortable place on the grass for nearly an hour. _It's been awfully quiet today. Usually by now Master Makarov would have given me an assignment._

"Levy!" The sound of my teammates' voices instantly perked me up. _Hopefully a job has come in for the three of us!_

"Hey, Jet! Hey, Droy!" I smiled, standing up to greet them. "Did Master assign us a job?"

"Yeah!" Droy grinned, excitedly. "It's a really big one, too!"

"Oh yeah? How much?" I asked, beginning to feel excited as well. It had been over a week since our last assignment, so I was eager to get back to work. Laying around all the time got boring extremely fast, so I had been ready for an assignment for a few days.

"Thirty million Jewel!" Jet told me with the biggest smile I had ever seen on his face.

"Thirty million?!" I gasped, staring at them with wide eyes. "Master usually only gives jobs that big to the S-Class hunters!"

"They are all out of town for the next few days, and Master wanted this taken care of immediately," Droy said.

"Lucky us," I chuckled. "So, what type of job is it?" _For thirty million Jewel, I don't really care what it is!_ I smiled to myself, thinking of all the books I could buy with that much money.

"A Dragon Slayer," Jet smiled.

"What?!" I exclaimed, incredulously.

A long time ago, a type of demon existed known as the "dragon". They were the most powerful of all the demon species. As a way to stop these beasts from destroying the world, demon slayers created a new type of demon in which to fight them: the dragon slayer. These dangerously powerful new demons were made by fusing the power of a dragon to a human demon hunter.

Once turned into a dragon slayer, the hunter had to control the dragon's power inside them, and learn to harness it in order to fight with it. As with all power, this came with a great risk. If used wrongly, the power of a dragon slayer could become tainted, causing them to become more demon than human—also known as "defective". In the cases where this happened, it was the duty of hunters to destroy the defective dragon slayer.

As the dragons died out over the years, so did the use of this dangerous technique. The dragon slayers that remained had mostly joined various hunter organizations where they were watched closely while they took part in normal hunter activities. Fairy Tail was lucky enough to have three dragon slayers as members: Laxus Dreyer, Wendy Marvel, and Natsu Dragneel.

Some defective dragon slayers have managed to evade the hunters council over the years, and are among the most feared and dangerous demons out there. So much so that even other demons were afraid of them! When hunting a dragon slayer, organizations usually sent large teams to deal with them—usually of about five or six extremely skilled hunters.

To the council's knowledge, there were only seven remaining dragon slayers. Five belonged to organizations, and one was being held as a prisoner by the hunters council. The only unaccounted for dragon slayer was defective, and was one of the most powerful dragon slayers on existence. Part of the first group of hunters to ever be turned into dragon slayers (known as first generation dragon slayers), he contained powers that could only be matched by another dragon slayer. He has been given the name "Black Steel Gajeel"—the iron dragon slayer.

"Guys, I'm not so sure we can handle this alone. Natsu, Laxus, or Wendy should deal with him. He is one of them, after all," I said, nervously. According to rumors, Gajeel was capable of taking down an entire hunters organization by himself.

"We can totally handle this!" Droy proclaimed. "You're one of the most skilled gun users in Fairy Tail!"

All hunters specialized in some form of weaponry. Erza used swords, Lucy had a whip, Droy used herbal mixtures, Elfman trained in hand-to-hand combat, and I fought with guns. While I wasn't as skilled as Alzack or Bisca, I could hit almost any target I fired at.

"I don't think—"

"Come on," Jet smiled, nudging me in the side with his elbow, "Master hand-picked us for this! Do you really want to turn down a job given to us directly from Master Makarov?"

"No, but—"

"Then it's settled!" Droy said. "We leave first thing in the morning."

"Let's go meet up with Master to get the details," I sighed, giving in. _If Master chose us, then he believes in our abilities. Although I'm still nervous about it, I think learning more about the assignment will put me more at ease._

I walked with Jet and Droy back to headquarters to talk to Master Makarov. It was difficult not to share in their excitement, and I found myself grinning as I knocked on the door of Master's office.

"Come in," came the Master's voice from inside.

"Good afternoon, Master," I said, bowing as I greeted him. "Jet and Droy just informed me of our newest assignment. We came to get the full job description."

"Ah yes," he nodded. "You three will be going to Hosenka—"

"—the spa town?" Droy asked, excitedly.

"Yes. There have been reports of a demon attacking tourists and destroying several of the shops there. As I'm sure these two have already told you, we believe it is _him_."

"Black Steel Gajeel," I breathed.

"Right. This request came straight from the council, so it's our top priority. Our orders are to take him down immediately—before he ends up killing an innocent person."

"Are we supposed to take him to the council once we've captured him?" I asked.

Master shook his head, a grave look on his face, as he said, "no. Gajeel has been deemed too dangerous for mere capture. We are instructed to kill him just like we would any other demon."

"Seriously?" Jet asked, sounding surprised. As hunters, it was our duty to kill unruly demons. However, dragon slayers were an extremely rare species—not to mention the fact that they were half human. In their special case, defective dragon slayers were captured by the hunters council. Council leaders would try to convince them to join a hunters organization and help in the battle against other demons. If they accepted, they were released and free to choose an organization they wished to join. Several organizations, though, refused to allow the dragon slayers to become members, afraid they would defect and their inner demon would once again take control. Unlike those organizations, Master Makarov embraced the unique gifts of the dragon slayers, and welcomed them into Fairy Tail with open arms.

But, if a dragon slayer refused to become a hunter and join an organization, and instead chose to allow their inner demon to overpower their human selves, they were viewed as too dangerous and immediately killed. So, the fact that our orders were to kill automatically meant that the council had completely given up on Gajeel's human self—something they had never done before.

"The council isn't even going to give him the chance to join an organization?" I asked. The idea of killing him without the chance to change didn't sit right with me.

"I'm afraid not," Master sighed. "The council doesn't want to take any chances with him. I can understand their concern. He has been a menace to Fiore for a long time. They're afraid it's too late for him, so it's better just to kill him instead of wasting valuable time and resources on a lost cause."

"That doesn't seem right," I frowned, "everyone is capable of change. No matter how bad someone is, they can always decide to change if given the guidance to do so."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Master smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"When Jet and Droy informed you of this job, I'm guessing you were surprised that I chose your group over Natsu's, Wendy's, or Laxus's groups. As they are dragon slayers, it would make sense to send them on this assignment—since Gajeel is also a dragon slayer."

"That was my thought, yes," I nodded. I wasn't really sure what his point was, but I listened closely.

"Do you know why I picked Shadow Gear for this assignment?"

I shook my head. Honestly, I had no idea. It _would_ have made more sense to send a stronger—or larger—team, especially given Gajeel's reputation.

"I chose your team because I believe Shadow Gear has something their teams do not."

"What's that?"

"You," he smiled, warmly, as he spoke. "Perhaps the other dragon slayers would be able to kill Gajeel with more ease, but I don't think that is what this job needed."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," I asked with a frown.

"Like you just said, it isn't fair to kill a former demon hunter without giving them one last chance at redemption. I agree with you. That's why you are going to convince Gajeel to join Fairy Tail."

"What?!" "Seriously?!" Jet and Droy exclaimed together.

I gaped in shock at Master Makarov. "Convince _Black Steel Gajeel_ to join Fairy Tail? _Me_?" I asked, incredulous. "Master, there's no way I could—"

"I have the utmost faith in you, my dear," Master said, still smiling despite all of our shock.

"What—what if he refuses to listen to me?"

"You know what must be done then," he said. "I suggest you three get a good night's sleep. It is going to be a long train ride tomorrow, followed by a difficult battle."

We thanked Master Makarov before saying our goodbyes and leaving his office. I sat with Jet and Droy at our usual table in the cafeteria, still thinking about what Master had said to us. _How in the world am I supposed to convince a demon to surrender and join Fairy Tail? Black Steel Gajeel no less! He is known for his brutality, so why does Master Makarov think I'll be able to convince him? And if I can't, we will have to kill him._ I sighed to myself. _There is no way I am strong enough to kill him. Shadow Gear is strong, but I'm still not so sure about this._

"Hey Levy!"

"Hi Cana," I smiled up at my long-time friend. Her long brown hair framed her smiling face as she looked at me.

"How did your assignment with Gildarts go?" Jet asked her.

She groaned, collapsing into the seat next to me. She ordered a barrel of beer from Kinana before turning to face us. "I'm going to kill that old man."

"It couldn't have been _that_ bad," I chuckled.

"You're right," she sighed, laying her head on the table, "it was worse."

"You're just exaggerating," I grinned, rolling my hazel eyes at her.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that we get to do these father-daughter assignments, but he goes over-board! I mean, he bragged to the _demon_ about how awesome I am before he killed it. I'm glad he's proud of me, but that's too much!"

"He's excited to have you in his life. I'm sure he's just trying to make up for all the years you were so close and he had no idea you were his daughter," Droy said.

"And I appreciate it, but he's too clingy," she sighed, drinking from the barrel Kinana had given her.

"I should be going," I announced, standing. "I need to get ready for tomorrow." While I really _did_ need to prepare for the next day, that wasn't the only reason I was eager to leave the conversation. Hearing Cana talk about spending time with Gildarts caused my chest to throb painfully. _What I wouldn't give for a chance to see my parents again...or at least to tell them goodbye._

"I'll walk you home," Jet said, following me.

"Hey, _I'm_ walking Levy home," Droy told him. I couldn't help but giggle as the two of them bickered. As usual, they _both_ ended up walking me back to the all-girls' dorms, Fairy Hills.

"See you tomorrow, Levy!" Droy waved as he and Jet headed towards their apartment in Magnolia.

"Let's meet up at ten, alright?" I called.

"Sure thing. See you then!" Jet smiled.

"When they had gone, I went inside the building and slowly walked to my room. I knew as I unlocked the door and entered my room that I wouldn't be able to sleep that night. I had gone on large assignments before, but never something _that_ big. _Tomorrow night I'm going to come face-to-face with Black Steel Gajeel!_ My nerves seemed to all be standing on end.

I was confident in my abilities as a hunter and my skills with a gun, but I had never fought such a powerful demon. _If he's even _half _as powerful as Natsu, I'm definitely a goner!_ I didn't know many people who could win against Natsu, so I silently prayed that Gajeel wasn't like him. Because they were both first generation dragon slayers, I assumed it meant they _were_ equal in power. _Man, I'm definitely screwed._

After taking a long bath, I put on a pair of black sweatpants and a gray T-Shirt. I pulled my unruly hair back with a black headband, and began searching through the seemingly endless maze of bookshelves in my room for a particular book. I decided not to waste my time with the hope of sleep that I already knew wouldn't come. Instead, I grabbed a book about dragon slayers and set out to do some research.

_If I can figure out Gajeel's weakness, I might stand a chance against him._ "Might," I reminded myself with a sigh. I wasn't looking forward to the next day.

Unfortunately, time seemed to speed by as I read. Before I knew it, the sun had already begun to shine through my apartment's windows. I closed my book and stretched, having read the entire thing. My muscles were stiff from where I hadn't moved in several hours, and they ached in protest as I made my way to the kitchen to fix myself some breakfast.

"I probably won't be able to eat much until we finish in Hosenka," I murmured as I popped a waffle into the toaster. I cooked an egg and some bacon, too, while it toasted. _If I can't eat all day, I might as well eat a lot now._

After I finished eating and had cleaned up, I packed a small bag. I filled it with ammunition, a couple daggers, and a few throwing knives. I also threw in three apples and some trail mix for Jet, Droy, and I to snack on during our long train ride. Satisfied with my supplies, I went to my bedroom to get dressed. I put on an orange tank dress with separate sleeves and black leggings. I brushed my blue curls before using an orange headband to tie my bangs out of my face. I strapped my gun holster to my upper right thigh, grabbed my backpack, put on some black boots, and left for the train station.

It was 9:50 when I arrived, and only waited a couple of minutes before I heard Jet and Droy calling to me. "Good morning," I greeted them.

"Morning," Droy yawned.

"Ready?" Jet asked, smiling. _I wish I could be that excited for this assignment._

"Yeah," I nodded. _No. I have a feeling something bad is going to happen, but I can't tell him that. He and Droy will think I'm being a coward, so I have to grin and bare it! If everything goes according to plan, we'll be returning to Fairy Tail with a new member._

We boarded the train as soon as it arrived. I could see Jet and Droy's eagerness to get to Hosenka. Although we were going to a relaxing spa town, I felt anything but relaxed. The closer we got to the town, the more nervous I became.

When we finally got off the train in Hosenka, I immediately dismissed Jet and Droy's offer to go to a restaurant to eat dinner. My stomach was upset from my nerves, so I told them to go on without me. I wandered around the sketchy tourist town as I waited for them, and gave myself a pep talk.

_Everything is going to go alright! There's no way he would turn down the Master's offer to join Fairy Tail. If he knows he'll be killed otherwise, it will be an easy choice for him, right?_ Of course, I knew I was just fooling myself. Gajeel would easily be able to defeat us if he refused, so I had no choice but to convince him. _My life is depending on my skills of persuasion. _That thought didn't give me much reassurance.

"Levy, are you ready to start looking?" Jet asked, meeting me at our rendezvous point outside of a small gift shop. It was getting dark, and that's usually when demons liked to come out.

"Yeah," I sighed, "looks like it's time."


	3. 2: Everything Goes Wrong

Jet, Droy, and I searched Hosenka for nearly two hours and found no signs of Gajeel. "It's too quiet," I said. We should have found _something_ within two hours of looking. It's like he just disappeared.

"Maybe he left Hosenka?" Jet suggested.

"I don't think so. Something about this doesn't feel right." Suddenly, I sensed something. I turned around, just in time to see Droy get hit by a large iron club that seemed to come out of nowhere. "Droy!" I shouted, rushing to him.

"Damn! Where did that come from?" Jet cursed, standing beside me as I checked on Droy. He was conscious, but his eye was already starting to bruise.

"He's here," I said. I helped Droy to his feet and pulled my handgun from it's holster.

"Not very perceptive." A low chuckle came from the darkness right before a tall figure stepped from the shadows. He was nearly twice my height, and his black hair hung down his back in a wild mane. I noticed that his eyes were just white slits as he stared at me in dark amusement.

"Levy," Jet whispered, "it's now or never."

"Right," I nodded, stepping forward. "I'm guessing you're Gajeel?" I asked him, forcing any weakness out of my voice.

"Tch. Why should I tell you?" He growled.

"My name is Levy McGarden," I continued. "I am a member of the Fairy Tail hunters organization, and have come to speak with you at the request of our Master, Makarov."

"What the hell do I care about weaklings like you?"

"Join Fairy Tail," I blurted out. My request seemed to have caught him off guard, because his eyes widened slightly at my words.

"Join Fairy Tail?" He asked.

"Yes," I nodded, stepping closer to him. "You would be welcomed into the organization, and the council would excuse you for your past crimes."

Unfortunately, I had said the wrong thing. His aura darkened, and he glared at me. "The _council_ can burn in Hell for all I care. And you can send them a message for me. Iron Dragon's Roar!" I didn't have time to dodge his attack. I put my arms over my face to shield it from the worst of the blow, but I was throw backwards several feet.

"Levy!" Jet and Droy cried together. They immediately attacked Gajeel, taking that as his refusal to join Fairy Tail. Droy threw a powder at him containing a pungent odor, but he was unaffected. His fist smashed into Droy's face with such force that I heard his nose crack.

"Damn you!" Jet snapped, running at him. Like Elfman, Jet used hand-to-hand combat mostly. He slashed at him a few times with a small dagger, but never landed a blow. When I saw a small smirk form on Gajeel's lips, chills ran down my spine. _He's not even taking this seriously. Jet and Droy can't land a single hit on him, and he has barely been making an effort to fight them!_

"Jet, get away from him!" I shouted at him, not liking the way Gajeel continued smirking.

"Why—" Gajeel moved with impossible speed and kicked Jet in the gut. As he fell to the ground, Gajeel, began punching him. I made it to my feet after the third hit, aiming my gun. When his fist rose above his head once more to punch Jet, I pulled the trigger. My bullet met the side of his head, flinging him away from Jet.

"Are you alright?" I asked, kneeling beside my friend. His face was already swelling, but he managed to smile at me.

"Yeah. Caught me off guard."

"Damn it! That hurt."

"What?!" I gasped, watching as Gajeel stood. _How is he still alive?! I shot him in the head! _He titled his head to the side, and I watched as the flattened metal of what had once been a bullet fell to the ground. _It didn't even break through his skin._

"Now I'm mad, Shrimp," he growled. He appeared in front of me, wrapping his hand around my throat. I clawed at his hand as he slammed me onto the sidewalk. "I was going to go easy on ya," he punched me in the gut with his free hand, "but now I'm not."

"Leave Levy alone!" Droy jumped onto Gajeel's back, punching him repeatedly.

"Ain't had enough?" Gajeel snickered, releasing me long enough to bash Droy's head into the cement of the sidewalk. He made a pained noise, then fell sickeningly still.

"Droy!" I screamed, attempting to crawl to him.

Gajeel's booted foot came down on my leg, preventing me from moving. "Who said I was done with you?" He smirked, picking me up by a handful of my hair. Ignoring my pain, I raised my gun again, shooting him in the shoulder.

"Oh my God," I whispered, watching as the bullet hit him and fell to the ground, not even leaving a scratch.

"There is no God, here," he snapped, throwing me like a rag into the wall of a nearby building.

I hit the wall with a cry, knowing something was broken. _He's too strong. There's no way we can defeat him alone. Especially when Droy is already down, and Jet hasn't gotten back up from that last attack._

"Feeling confident now, fairy scum?" Gajeel asked, kicking me hard in the gut. I rolled several times, coughing blood when I landed on my face.

"Y-you don't have to d-do this," I croaked. The effort it took to talk nearly made me scream, but I kept going. "Master Makarov wants you to join Fairy Tail. You could become a hunter again, and help us fight other demons."

"You think I care about any of that?" Gajeel scoffed, slowly walking towards me. "Hunters are the ones who turned me into a dragon slayer! They should have thought about the consequences before implanting dragon powers into a human! If all those council bastards die tonight it wouldn't be soon enough."

"Th-then you should prove them wr-wrong," I gasped, closing my eyes as he pulled his leg back to kick me again. "AHH!" I screamed as his foot met my gut, and I was once again sent rolling across the ground. "Don't b-become what the council th-thinks you are. Join Fairy Tail."

"Gihi. I'm impressed you can still talk after that," he smirked, crouching down to look at me. Power was practically radiating off of him. Gajeel stood with a bored sigh. "I'm insulted they sent weaklings like you to kill me. Did they honestly think _you_ would be able to kill me?" He laughed, beginning to walk away.

"D-don't become the monster they make you out to be," I said, struggling to my feet. "Master Makarov... is an amazing hunter. He'll...he'll help you. And there are...other dragon slayers at...Fairy Tail." It was hard to breathe, but I continued. Even as he stormed towards me furiously, I held my ground. "Come back to Magnolia with us...please."

"You don't give up, do you?" He snarled, grabbing a handful of my hair and tipping my head back until our eyes met.

I smiled at him, "I'm a Fairy Tail hunter. We don't give up."

He grinned, and I saw a green light as his arm transformed into an iron club. "Too bad for you." He threw me, and before I hit the ground, his arm smashed into me. I felt the sidewalk around me shatter as my body was flung into it. "Now stay down, fairy scum."

I coughed blood onto the sidewalk, trying to get up. My face fell onto the broken cement painfully, and my vision began blurring. _This isn't good. I think there's internal bleeding. If I don't get help soon, I'll—_ I was fading quickly, consciousness escaping me despite how hard I fought. _I'm sorry, Master Makarov. I couldn't...do it._

**_~Gajeel~_**

I couldn't believe the nerve of that pathetic hunter. "How dare she lecture me! She doesn't know anything! Those hunter organizations are all the same—mindless tools for the council. After everything those bastards have done to the dragon slayers, I'd let Hell freeze over before I _ever_ joined them!" I cursed as I walked along rooftops towards the edge of Hosenka. I heard the screams of a group of tourists as they found the hunters, and kept walking.

For some annoying reason, I couldn't get that Shrimp's face out of my head. Even as she was desperately losing, she never lost the look of determination in her hazel eyes. "Tch. Makes me sick," I growled.

"Looks like I'm going to have to leave this area for a while," I told myself. "The council knows where I am, so I'm sure more of those annoying pests will come after after." Although I told myself they deserved what I had done to them, I still found myself stopping dead in my tracks when I heard another scream. _That wasn't a tourist._ Having just heard it several times, I knew it was that hunter girl.

"Who cares!" I snapped, forcing my legs to move. Unfortunately, they were going in the opposite direction—straight towards her scream.

I remained hidden in an alley as I approached. They last thing I needed was to be spotted by a bunch of tourists with cameras. _If they take my picture, the council will _definitely_ know where I am._

An emergency vehicle was parked beside where I had left her two teammates. Since they were no where to be seen, I assumed they had already taken them to the hospital. The girl, however, was still laying on the sidewalk. The screams must have been from them rolling her onto her back. Her dress was ripped in several places, and there was something sticking through one of her sleeves. My stomach rolled when I saw that it was her bone.

She screamed again when they lifted her onto the stretcher, and I had to hold myself back from charging at them. From where I stood in the shadows, she looked so small and fragile. _Damn. I didn't think I had hurt her _that_ badly. _I had been trying to send the hunters a message, but something tightened uncomfortably in my gut as I watched them load her into the ambulance and drive away.

"Damn it! I don't care what happens to the hunters! They blindly do what the council tells them to do, so they deserved what they got. Now they'll think twice before sending anyone else after me."

I was still a little shocked that she had invited me to join her organization. Even after I had beaten her up, she still managed to try to convince me. _And she smiled at me._ I didn't think anyone had ever smiled so honestly at me before. Sneers and smiles full of sarcasm I was used to, but hers had thrown me off. _Blood was running down her face from a gash I had caused, and she still smiled at me._

It was a little unbelievable. "Stupid girl," I scoffed. "She's still a kid. She doesn't know anything."

**_~Levy~_**

"Levy! Levy, can you hear me?"

"L-Lu-chan?" I asked, blinking my sore eyes.

"Thank God," she sighed in relief, grabbing my hand. "How do you feel?"

"Bad," I admitted. I chuckled, but the action sent pain throughout my entire body, causing me to wince.

"Try not to move," Lucy told me.

"Jet and Droy?" I asked, worriedly.

"They're just fine," Lucy smiled. "They were released this morning."

"This morning?" I frowned. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Just a day," she said. "You were hurt pretty bad, so the doctors gave you some really strong pain medication. It knocked you out for a while. You were awake in the middle of the night, don't you remember?"

I shook my head. "The last thing I remember is passing out on the sidewalk." My eyes suddenly watered as I remembered how horribly I had failed. "I couldn't convince him," I whispered. "He overpowered us so easily. I failed the Master."

"Don't beat yourself up, Levy," Lucy soothed. "You did your best."

"I never realized how pathetically weak I am," I sighed, closing my eyes. "He wasn't even trying, and look what he did to me. I'm—I'm a disgrace to Fairy Tail."

"Stop talking like that!" Lucy snapped. "You're an amazing hunter, and it isn't your fault that you lost. Not even Master Makarov anticipated him to be that powerful!"

"It's still no excuse," I said. "I—"

"How's she doing?" Natsu asked, loudly, as he came into the room.

"Not so loud!" Lucy told him, frowning. "She's resting."

"It's alright, Lu-chan," I said.

"Hey, you're awake again!" He grinned. "You were saying some funny stuff earlier."

"What?"

"When you woke up last night," Lucy explained. "The doctor told us it was the medication. You weren't making any sense."

"I don't remember that."

"You were telling Lucy how much you loved her novel, and then starting talking about monsters," he chuckled. "You were like 'you're not a monster. I just know it,' and stuff like that." I had to laugh as he tried to imitate my voice.

When his words sunk in, I felt heat creep up my neck and into my face. _I had to have been talking about Gajeel. But, why would I talk about _him_ in my sleep?_

"Levy, are you feeling okay? You're face is kind of flushed," Lucy said, concerned.

"Y-yeah," I told her. "I'm just a little hot, that's all." I was saved from any further questions when half the guild came into the room, followed by my doctor and a nurse. After I was examined, and given permission to return home, everyone was ushered out of the room so I could change out of my hospital gown and into normal clothes.

I slipped on a short orange dress that tied around my neck with a white ribbon and had separate sleeves. I was quite fond of that style, so I had several dresses that were similar. I worked gently around my broken arm, tying on my sleeves before fastening my sandals. "Well, I can't tie up my hair with only one arm," I sighed, just giving it a quick brush.

"May I come in?" Master's voice asked from the other side of my door.

"Sure, Master," I said, taking a seat on the hospital bed.

"I'm relieved to see you're alright," he said. "I would like to apologize to you."

"You don't—"

"I should never have sent you three there alone," he interrupted, looking rather distraught. "I was so sure that he would agree to join Fairy Tail that I didn't expect you to have to fight him. I'm afraid my arrogance has caused you a lot of pain."

"It's not your fault!" I stood up, shaking in frustration. "I was the one who lost. If I had been better prepared, then it wouldn't have happened. Please, don't blame yourself."

He sighed, looking away from me. "I still shouldn't have sent you alone. Not even S-Class hunters will take on a dragon slayer alone. It was foolish of me to send you into a fight with such high risks."

"Master," I smiled, bending down to take his hand, "I'm a hunter. Not only that, but I'm a member of Fairy Tail. I'm used to risks. Now, please don't feel bad. It will make me feel worse about losing if you keep apologizing to me."

"Right," he nodded, looking up at me with a smile. "Are you ready to return to Fairy Tail?"

"Yeah," I nodded, returning his smile. "Let's go home."


	4. 3: A New Member

It had been almost a month since the incident in Hosenka. The others had all done their best to comfort me, but I was still a little depressed at how miserably I had failed the organization. With the help of Wendy's strange dragon slayer abilities, I was back to perfect health. Even my broken arm was completely healed.

"Listen up," Master Makarov said, interrupting everyone's lunches. He stood on the banister of the second level, and stared down at all of us with a serious expression.

"I wonder what it is?" My best friend, Lucy Heartfilia, murmured. I shrugged, looking up at Master while everyone quieted down.

"I'd like to announce a new member to our organization," he said. He looked behind him, motioning for someone to come forward. The room went dead quiet, the only sound coming from the clatter of my fork hitting my plate. "This is Gajeel Redfox."

At the sound of his name, my muscles instantly tensed, and fear shot down my spine. His appearance had changed quite a lot from when I had fought him just a month ago. His once all-white eyes now looked normal, and his irises were a brilliant red color. He no longer wore tattered clothing, but a long black coat that was sleeveless, and white pants. The coat was trimmed in what looked like iron, matching the piercings on his face and arms. I noticed the organization's symbol tattooed onto his arm in black.

_So, this isn't a joke. If Master gave him the mark, he's really a member. What changed? He was so adamant in his refusal when I had begged him to join._

"NO WAY!" Jet shouted, finally breaking the silence. "Master, you can't be serious!"

"There's no way we'll let him join Fairy Tail!" Droy added. "That bastard doesn't—"

"Enough, both of you!" Master commanded, sending the room into silence once more. "I've made this decision, and whether you like it or not, he's a member of the organization now. I won't hear another word about it."

I hadn't realized I was shaking until Lucy's hand rested on my shoulder in a comforting gesture. I stood and left the building as soon as Master dismissed us. I couldn't believe it. _Why did Master let him join?!_

"Hey," a rough voice said as a large hand clamped down on my shoulder.

I shrieked, swinging my harm as I turned. My hand met Gajeel's face hard, and I froze, my hand against his cheek. He had released my shoulder, but hadn't tried to dodge my hand—which I knew would have been easy for him to do.

"I deserved that," he said, not meeting my eyes.

"W-what do you want?" I asked, pulling my hand away and taking a step back.

"I wanted to apologize," he said, "for before. You look all healed now, though, so I guess that's good."

"No thanks to you," I snapped.

"Yeah, sorry," he frowned. "I didn't mean to rough you guys up that much."

Without thinking, I slapped him again. This time on purpose. Like before, he took it, merely closing his eyes as my hand left a red mark on his cheek. "You didn't mean to?" I laughed, incredulous. "You did more than rough us up! You—you completely destroyed us. Like we were nothing more than children." My voice caught in my throat, so I turned on my heal and sprinted away. "Stay away from me!"

I didn't stop running until I had reached my room in Fairy Hills. I was furious at his nerve. "What the hell kind of apology was that?!" I cursed, throwing a pillow across my bedroom. "He hadn't meant to _rough us up_ that badly?! UGH! If he was truly sorry, he wouldn't have come here to rub it in my face." I fell onto my bed with a sigh of defeat. "Damn him."

The smell of paper and ink coming from the rows of bookshelves throughout my room helped to calm me. "I can't let him get me worked up. I'll just ignore him and put more time into training. I won't be beaten like that again. If I ever hope to defeat the demon that killed my parents, I _can't_ be beaten like that again."

Although it had been twenty years since their deaths, and I had been tirelessly searching since joining Fairy Tail, I hadn't been able to track down the demon responsible. My sole purpose in becoming a hunter was to avenge their deaths, and finally get some closure. Once I did that, I could finally stop fighting. While I loved being a hunter and everyone at the organization, I was so tired of all the fighting. I looked forward to the day I could stop and finally get to live a normal life. _I'll even be able to settle down and start a family._

It wasn't out of the question for hunters to get married and have children, but that usually only happened between two hunters. If a hunter met someone who wasn't, they either quit in order to be with them, or the relationship didn't last long. I knew first-hand how consuming the life of a hunter could be, not to mention how dangerous it was, so I didn't want to commit to another person until that responsibility and danger was gone. It wouldn't be fair to the other person to put them through that worry all the time. _Especially when there's a chance on every assignment that I may not come back._

Hoping it would help me get Gajeel out of my head, I went to the library in Magnolia. "I'll just drown myself in a good book until tomorrow." I couldn't return to Fairy Tail until then, afraid Gajeel would still be there. _I need at least a day to work myself up to see him again. Until then, I should just avoid Fairy Tail._

**_~Gajeel~_**

I watched Levy run away, and sighed. My face hurt like hell. "She may be small, but she's got an arm on her," I grumbled, rubbing my cheek. For a kid, she was pretty tough.

I returned to the cafeteria, slightly dejected. I hadn't expected her to accept my apology, but I hadn't expected it would make things _worse._ "Damn little kid," I sighed, sitting at the far end of the bar alone. I could practically feel the daggers the other hunters were sending into my back with their eyes as they glared at me.

"They'll get over it eventually," a sweet voice told me. A silver-haired woman stood behind the bar, smiling at me. Her blue eyes met mine before she asked, "are you hungry?"

"Not really," I frowned, propping my head on my hand.

"You're Gajeel Redfox, the iron dragon slayer, right?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Mirajane Strauss." She held out her hand, waiting until I shook it.

"So, why are you being so nice?" I asked, curious.

"I trust Master Makarov's judgment. If he has invited you to join Fairy Tail, even after what happened, I will respect his decision. Don't get me wrong, I don't like you at all," she smiled, something in her voice sounding extremely threatening, "but I won't make a fuss about you being here." With that, she walked off to serve someone at the other end of the bar.

"Creepy woman," I grumbled.

"Hey you."

"Yeah, what?" I asked, turning on the bar stool. A pink-haired boy was standing behind me, his arms crossed.

"Did gramps say you're a dragon slayer?" He asked.

"What's it to ya?" I frowned.

"Because I want to fight you," he grinned. "Not only as payback for Shadow Gear, but to see if you're as tough as you look."

"One-on-one?" I asked, shocked at this guy's nerve. "You wouldn't last a minute."

"I don't think so," a blonde girl said, patting the pink-haired guy on the back. "Natsu's the fire dragon slayer, so I bet he can take you on just fine."

"You're the Salamander?" He didn't look anything like I had imagined.

"And you're Black Steel Gajeel," he said. "Come on, fight me!"

"Natsu, leave him alone," Makarov said. "Let him get settled in before you go picking a fight."

"AH, come on, gramps!" Natsu sighed. I couldn't believe how casual he was being towards Makarov. I was still scared senseless of the guy, and Salamander was calling him _gramps_.

"No! This isn't right!" A man with a weird haircut shouted, slamming his hands against a table. I recognized him as one of Levy's teammates.

"Droy, try to calm down," Mirajane was saying, but he ignored her.

"I don't care what Master said! I can't accept this!" He stormed from the cafeteria, followed by his teammate.

Makarov sighed. "Those two are going to be the most resistant to this. I'm not as worried about Levy, but—"

"She seemed pretty resistant to me," I frowned, rubbing my cheek.

"With good reason," the blonde shot at me. "I'd hate you, too."

"Lucy, that's enough," Makarov told her. "Although his past sins are great, we must now accept him as a fellow hunter. Everyone deserves a second chance, so it is our duty to guide him."

"I'm still going to fight him one day," Natsu grinned.

"Yes, but not now," Makarov said. "Shouldn't you two be leaving with the others for an assignment in a few minutes?"

"Oh, crap! C'mon, Luce!" Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand and ran from the cafeteria, dragging her behind him.

Once alone again, I sighed. "Damned noisy hunters." I had to remind myself that I was a hunter now, too. It had been so long since I had fought _for_ hunters instead of against them that I wasn't sure I'd be any good at it anymore.

"Well, no better way to see than to take a job," I said. I grabbed a job off the request board, told Makarov, and left. "I should probably stay away from Fairy Tail until things calm down. Everyone's still pissed about me joining. Not like I had any choice." I shivered at the memory, Makarov's threat still fresh in my mind.

~~~Three Days Before~~~

I was eating the iron support beams of an old abandoned building that had collapsed about a week before when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned my arm to iron, swinging it at whomever had been unfortunate enough to stumble upon me. A tiny old man stopped my attack with one hand, not even budging from where he stood just inside the building. I pulled my arm away, glaring at the old man.

"What do you want?" I growled.

"My name is Makarov," he said, calmly.

"Makarov?" Where had I heard that name before? It sounded so familiar. The answer suddenly hit me. _He's the leader of Fairy Tail, the organization that blue-haired girl had come from._ "Damn," I mumbled, figuring he had come for revenge.

"I'm not here to fight you," he said, dismissing my assumptions immediately. "I came to invite you one last time to join Fairy Tail."

"What?" I gaped at him, shocked.

"It is my duty as a guild master to put an end to you, Black Steel Gajeel," he told me. "I would much rather do that by accepting you into Fairy Tail than by killing you."

"You...want me to join Fairy Tail?" I asked. "After what I did?"

"Listen closely, boy," he said, stepping closer. So much power radiated off him that I actually backed away. I hadn't felt fear in a long time, and had begun to forget what it felt like, but this tiny old man easily refreshed my memory. "I am not forgiving you for what you did to my children, nor will I ever. But, I want to give you the chance to make amends to those you have caused pain. Instead of killing you as punishment, I want you to spend the rest of your life as a hunter in Fairy Tail, and dedicate yourself to making things right. Live for your comrades instead of yourself, and help those in need by killing demons alongside them."

"If I refuse?"

"This isn't a request, boy!" He snapped, suddenly throwing me to the ground. He stood beside my head, glaring down at me as I stared up at him in shock. "You will join Fairy Tail, or I will kill you here and now. Honestly, I'm fine with either of your choices."

"Fine, I'll join your damned organization," I frowned.

"Good," he said, stepping back so I could get to my feet. "I'll expect you to meet me at Fairy Tail by the end of the week."

"Whatever," I frowned.

"And, if you ever raise your fists against any of my children again, I will not hesitate to end you," he warned, more power than before radiating off him with his threat.

~~~Current Day~~~

"G-Gajeel?" I heard a small voice ask, bringing me from my thoughts.

"What?" I asked, looking down to see a small bluenette looking up at me. A white Exceed demon stood close beside her, protectively.

"Hi," she said, "I'm Wendy Marvel. I'm Fairy Tail's sky dragon slayer."

"You? But, you're just a kid!" I said, rather shocked.

"I'm almost fifteen, so I'm not a kid!" She snapped. _She must be only a couple years younger than Levy, then_. I pondered, noticing she was only a few inches shorter than the other bluenette.

"So, what do you want?" I asked, shaking myself. _Why the hell do I keep thinking about her?_

"I just wanted to introduce myself, and to welcome you to the organization. The others will take a while to get used to you, but they're all incredible people once you get to know them."

"I don't plan to," I frowned, walking passed her.

"How rude," the Exceed snapped. "Come, Wendy, don't waste your time with that brute of a man."

"Alright," she sighed, following after the Exceed.

I didn't want to get friendly with these hunters, so I wasn't planning on getting to know any of them. _I'm going to focus on jobs, and that's it._


	5. 4: Sunshine

**_~Levy~_**

After I awoke from a restless sleep, I took a long shower. I stood under the steaming stream of water for nearly an hour before I could force myself to get ready and go out to face the real world. I had cowardly thought about just quitting Fairy Tail and running away altogether. Honestly, the thought crossed my mind a second time as I brushed my dripping hair.

"I'll just go with Jet and Droy on a lot of jobs until things calm down," I told myself. I put on a short orange dress that tied around my neck with a white ribbon. The separate orange sleeves went on next, followed by a pair of sandals. I tied my bangs back with a yellow-orange ribbon and took a deep breath while looking at myself in the mirror.

I was extremely short, and had a petite frame. My chest was seriously lacking anything interesting, but my waist wasn't too bad. Unfortunately, my mixture of height problems and chest deficiency made me look much younger than I actually was. I would be turning twenty-five in six months.

"That means it will be twenty-one years since their deaths," I sighed, turning away from the mirror and leaving the bathroom. My parents were murdered four months before my fifth birthday. I joined Fairy Tail the day after their funeral, and had spent my time since then trying to find the demon responsible. Although I had witnessed their murder, I had no idea what the demon looked like. My parents had made me stay hidden in their bedroom underneath the bed while they fought it. Both of them had been skilled hunters earlier in life, but retired and got married when they found out my mother was pregnant with me.

The night it had all happened, I couldn't understand why. Being only four at the time, I didn't realize being retired hunters meant they had countless enemies in the demon world. They had moved far from their organization's town and had even changed their names, but one of their enemies had still managed to find them.

I could still remember being pulled from bed in the middle of night and told not to make a sound—no matter what happened—as I was shoved under their bed. Nor would I ever forget the horrible purple color their blue carpet had turned as blood had soaked it. My father's severed head had rolled under the bed, and had stared into my horrified face as I watched my mother's arms being ripped off. Whatever demon had done it had had a grudge, because it took its time torturing them before they were finally killed. Luckily, it hadn't realized I was there, and the smell of my parents' blood throughout the room had masked my scent. After they were both dead, it simply left. It went away as if it hadn't murdered two people and forever changed the life of a four-year-old child.

I slowly opened the front doors to Fairy Tail's headquarters. I hoped Gajeel wouldn't come until later (or not at all), but I knew I'd have to get used to his presence eventually. He _was_ a member of Fairy Tail, so I'd be seeing a lot more of him.

"Levy!" Jet and Droy greeted me, waving from our usual table near the back of the cafeteria.

"Good morning," I yawned, joining them. "Where are Lucy, Natsu, and Happy? They're usually here by now."

"Master sent them on a job as soon as they arrived this morning," Droy said. "Erza and Gray went along, too."

"Yeah, so it looks like it's going to be a peaceful morning," Jet chuckled.

"Where did you disappear to yesterday? We looked around after _he_ was introduced to everyone, but you were gone," Droy frowned. "We noticed he was gone, too, and got worried."

"I went back to Fairy Hills," I sighed. "Sorry for worrying you." I didn't want them to know about my conversation with Gajeel. I was known for being one of the most level-headed people in the organization, so it would probably be a shock if anyone found out about my little explosion. _I slapped Gajeel in the _face—twice!_ I can't believe I did that._ I had been so angry that I hadn't thought twice before doing it. He had been so casual about nearly killing us that it had sent me over the edge a little.

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen him since yesterday," Jet pondered, looking around. "I wonder where he went."

"Don't do anything stupid," I warned, not liking the hint of anger in his eyes.

"I won't," he told me, "but I am going to keep tabs on him. I don't trust him."

"I don't either, but we should just leave him alone," I said. "Stay out of his way, and he'll stay out of ours."

"You're probably right," he sighed, picking at the plate of eggs Mira had placed in front of him. The three of us always ordered the same thing for breakfast, so it never took long for Mira to bring us our eggs, toast, and bacon.

I dug into my breakfast, nodding. "Has Master spoke with either of you about a job?" I asked.

They both shook their head. "No," Droy said. "He told Jet and I yesterday after you had left that we should take today off."

"I wish he would stop babying us," Jet frowned.

"He's just trying to look out for us," I said. "Although I agree with you, I understand that he worries a lot. We'll just spend the day training. I haven't gone to the shooting range lately, so I think I'll go there after breakfast."

"We'll train hard, too, then," Droy smiled.

I quickly finished the rest of my food, wanting to get to the shooting range soon. I had been hoping for the distraction of a job, but training would be just as affective at getting my mind off everything. It would also give me more practice. Natsu had once offered to train me in some hand-to-hand combat fighting, but I immediately dismissed him. _That idiot would burn me alive. He has no self control at all!_ He would forget he was training me, and end up destroying the training hall most likely.

I fired at targets for several hours, lost in the feel of the gun in my hands. Every target I shot I imagined a different type of demon. I went over every species I knew, thinking of which one could have literally ripped two people apart with such ease. Every year around the anniversary of my parents' deaths, I became obsessed with finding their killer. I was driven by that motive every day, but it grew particularly strong in the months leading up to the anniversary.

I finally stopped practicing after my hands began to ache from the repeated firing for so long. I carefully cleaned my gun and returned it to the holster I kept strapped to my right thigh. Even on my days off I carried it with me. It had become a habit, and I felt naked when I wasn't wearing it.

The sun was beginning to set as I left Fairy Tail's training building. Being early Spring, the days were beginning to lengthen, but were still fairly short. It was nearly seven, judging by the placement of the sun on the horizon, which meant I had missed both lunch and dinner. My stomach growled loudly in protest, reminding me just how long ago breakfast had been. I wasn't in the mood to return to Fairy Tail, so instead I went into Magnolia. There was a small bar that had amazing food—not to mention the best beer in Fiore—so I went straight there.

Marley, the owner of the bar, was a former client of mine, so he was always happy when I stopped by. Seven years before, I had killed a small demon which had been hassling his customers, injuring a few people. After that, he had given me a lifelong pass to come and eat or drink whenever I wanted. Since I loved their food, I visited the small place at least once a week when I was in Magnolia.

The bar was a small, square, brick building with a large white sign above the front door reading "Marley's Bar &amp; Grill" in bold black letters. The inside was dimly lit, with only about six small, round tables spread around one half of the floor. The other half was dedicated to a pool table and a dart board. The bar was my favorite part of the place, though. It went from one end of the building to the other, and had every drink imaginable behind it. Marley was the bartender, too, so I always shared in a nice conversation when I came. It was usually occupied by a tougher crowd, but that didn't deter me from enjoying a cold beer and a hot burger with fries.

"Levy!" Marley smiled, leaning against the bar as I climbed onto a bar stool. "It's been over a month since your last visit! I was beginning to think something had happened to my most valued customer." Marley was a rather scary-looking man of about forty. He was missing a tooth, had several tattoos, and had his hair cropped short. That wasn't what gave him the scary look, though. It was the scars. They covered his face and arms. One scar went over his mouth, pulling the left side down in what looked like a permanent frown. He once told me he had been a hunter when he was younger, and had earned the scars in battle.

Add the fact that he always had on leather and carried a handgun to the pile, and people generally stayed away from him. However, I was quite fond of him. He was one of the kindest people I knew, and shared my love of books. Besides Makarov, he was the closest thing I had found to a father, and I appreciated his kindness.

"Sorry," I said, returning his smile. "I got beat up a while ago, so I've been taking some time to recover."

His bright blue eyes darkened as he frowned at me. "Sounds like you got more'n beat up if it took ya a month to get better," he said.

"Don't worry, I'm fine now," I told him, patting his hand. "Tell me, how many brawls did I miss?"

He straightened, laughing as he poured my beer. "Three. Two hot shots from out of town were the most entertaining fight, though. They both got drunk, then started wailing on each other over some girl from back in their hometown. To be honest, I didn't hear most of it. I was too busy laughing my ass off."

"Sounds like it was funny," I chuckled, gladly accepting the beer.

He nodded. "I'm sure there'll be more, though. I'm just glad to see your pretty face back in this old dump. It gets boring, only having these trouble-makers to keep me company."

I giggled, drinking my beer as he disappeared into the kitchen in the back of the building. Although he refused my money, I always managed to sneak him some sort of payment every time I visited. This time, I slipped two week-long passes to a spa in Hosenka inside his duffel bag. I was climbing back over the bar when he returned from the kitchen with my burger and fries.

"Here ya go, Sunshine," he said, putting the plate onto the counter in front of me. "Eat up. I'll be back in a minute."

My growling stomach was so distracting that I simply nodded before digging in. I moaned quietly as the hot food hit my stomach. It was delicious as usual, and went perfectly with my beer. _I should make more of an effort to get more people to come here. Marley deserves it, and the food is amazing!_

"Hey."

My hand stopped halfway to my mouth with a french fry, and my entire body went stiff. I couldn't even bring myself to turn my head as I sat there in silence, curses running through my mind on repeat. After several awkward seconds of this, my muscles relaxed enough for me to return my hand to my plate and to turn my head to look at who had spoken.

Gajeel sat on the stool to my right, staring at me with a look of interest in his red eyes. His long black hair was slightly damp, as if he had just taken a shower. I noticed the freshly treated scratches and clean clothes, and knew that's what he had done. _He must have just got back from a job. Why did he come _here_ of all places, though?! He's only been in town for a couple of days, so he shouldn't even know about this place!_

"What can I get ya?" Marley asked, causing me to relax and return to my food. He looked at me questioningly, but I ignored him, not wanting to have to explain that _this_ was the the man who had beaten me so badly I couldn't come to his bar for a month.

"I'll have what she's having," Gajeel answered, pointing to my plate, "only triple it."

"Will you be payin' now, or do you want to start a tab?"

"Tab,"Gajeel said.

Marley nodded, pouring a glass of beer and handing it to Gajeel. He then went to the kitchen, where he would most likely be for a while, considering how much food Gajeel had ordered.

"Aren't you a little young to be in a place like this drinking?" Gajeel asked, smirking.

I ignored him and continued eating. _I told him to stay away from me, so why is he here? Why is he sitting right next to me? And why the hell does he keep talking to me?!_ I wanted to slap him again, just for his arrogance, but I restrained myself.

"Hey, Shrimp, are you going to ignore me for the rest of your life?"

"Planning on it," I snapped, never taking my eyes off my burger as I ripped pieces off of it with my teeth.

"Listen—"

"No, _you_ listen." I put my burger down and turned to him. "I told you to stay away from me yesterday. I would have thought the two slaps to the face you received from me would have been enough to convince you to do that. However, it seems that you enjoy rubbing the fact that you beat the crap out of me in my face. What are you trying to prove? That I can't do anything about it, even if I wanted to? Well, you're right. I know full well that I could never forcefully make you stay away because you're a lot stronger than I am. I also know that I can never repay you for the pain you caused my teammates and I. All I can do is tolerate your presence, and you know that."

"I'm not tryin' to start anything, alright?" He said, looking almost regretful. "I came here because I could smell the grill. I didn't know you were here until I had already come inside. Since you were here, I thought I'd try to talk to you again now that the shock of me joining Fairy Tail has worn off. I wanted to apologize again."

"I don't want your apologies," I frowned. "Words mean nothing. In the world I have lived in, the only true meaning comes from the actions of others. I won't be ready to forgive you until you've proven you deserve to be forgiven."

Marley returned from the kitchen before Gajeel could respond. He gave Gajeel his mountain of food, and watched in awe as he devoured every last bite. I was just finishing mine as he finished his second order.

"What's your name, son?" Marley asked, eying Gajeel curiously.

"Gajeel Redfox," he answered.

Marley's eyes widened slightly. I knew he would recognize Gajeel's name instantly thanks to his hunter past. He shot me another questioning look, probably wondering why I was so calm.

"I joined Fairy Tail yesterday," Gajeel told him, sounding annoyed.

**_~Gajeel~_**

_ What the hell is with this old guy?_ He kept staring at me as though he were trying to peer _into_ me, yet every time his gaze turned back to Levy, his face instantly softened. _Is this old geezer her grandpa or somethin'?_

"So, you joined Sunshine's organization," he murmured.

"Who the hell is Sunshine?" I snickered, thinking how stupid the nickname was.

"You're sharin' a bar with her," he frowned, pointing to Levy. "Sunshine here has been brightening my old bar with her gorgeous smile for a little over seven years now. She's my best customer, and the sweetest young woman I ever met."

"Marley," she smiled, chuckling. I caught myself staring at her as she smiled at him, remembering the night I had met her and she had smiled so kindly at me. _And then I put her in the hospital._ A pang of guilt stabbed me in the chest, so I looked back to the burly man she had called Marley.

"I can't imagine someone so young in a place like this," I said, drinking my beer. _She had to have been around eleven or twelve seven years ago, so that's kinda young to become a regular at a bar._

"I'm twenty-four," she said, quietly.

I couldn't hide the look of pure shock on my face as I gaped at her, open-mouthed. Marley laughed loudly, patting me on the shoulder. "She gets a lot of people with that one," he told me. "I bet ya were startin' to feel like a creep there for a while, weren't ya?"

"M-Marley!" Levy exclaimed, a horrified look of embarrassment on her face, which only made the old man laugh harder.

"I can't believe you're only a year younger than me," I said, still in shock. All that time, I had thought she was just a teenager. Knowing she was my age, I suddenly felt an odd awareness of how close our stools were sitting to each other.

"I need to get goin'," I said, wanting to get away from Marley's scrutinizing gaze. "How much was the food?"

"I'll make ya a deal," he said, leaning close to me.

"What?" I asked, uncomfortable with his proximity.

"You promise me that you'll take care'a Sunshine for me, and I'll make this one on the house. Deal?" He spoke quietly, staring into my red eyes with the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. I found myself nodding before I could think about it, and cursed inwardly. "Good," he grinned. "You come back now, ya hear?"

I nodded again, rushing from the bar. I took several deep breaths of the cold night air once I had gotten onto the street. _Did I really just agree to that? How am I supposed to take care of her? She doesn't even want me around her!_ "Tch. Well, I got a free meal, anyways. Gihihi."

Although I thought that, I ended up lingering around the bar for over an hour as I waited for the Shrimp to leave. Not wanting to push my luck with her, I followed her down the street instead of walking with her. I stayed far enough away that she couldn't sense me, but close enough that I could still see her blue hair. There were still quite a few people out and about, despite the cold and darkness. It was around nine at night, so I was surprised at the amount of people still outside.

We soon left Magnolia in the direction of Fairy Tail. I assumed she lived in the all-girls dorms I had heard about, so figured that's where she was headed. Once we reached a deserted piece of sidewalk, she stopped walking. I ducked behind a tree, wondering what she was doing.

"I know you're there," she said, "so come out." _Damn. I thought I had stayed back far enough._ As I was about to step out from behind my tree, a voice caused me to stop.

"So clever. I was sure you wouldn't sense me, but it seems you're just as skilled as the rumors say." A muscular man stepped onto the sidewalk from a tree only a few feet behind her.

"What do you want?" She asked, moving her hand to her right thigh. I remembered from our fight that that's the leg she kept her gun fastened to. _Is she going to shoot this guy? I thought hunters only shot demons?_

"You look delicious," he grinned, exposing a mouthful of pointed teeth. _Okay, he's definitely not human._ "I was told you killed my brother, so I have come to avenge him."

"It doesn't matter to me who he was to you," she said, surprisingly cold. "He killed three innocent people, so he was a threat."

"And you have killed many more demons than that, so the same could be said about you." I watched as the man grew another two feet, and his skin turned a rusty red color. Horns stuck out of his brown hair, and a tail stuck out of his pants. He grinned at Levy again before raising a clawed hand and lunging at her.

I watched as she kicked him to the ground, drew her gun, and shot him three times in the head. All within five seconds. The demon shrieked in defeat before disappearing as no more than a cloud of dust. _She's good. I never would have guessed someone so small would be that skilled._

I turned and sneaked back the way we had come, not coming out of the shadows until I was back in Magnolia. _I don't know why that old man made me make that stupid deal. She can obviously take care of herself._

I had walked two blocks when a familiar smell suddenly caught my attention. "That smells like the Shrimp's blood." That confused me, because she had already killed the demon that had been following her. She should have been almost to Fairy Hills already, which is why I turned around. The smell of her blood was coming from the same place I had left her a few minutes before. Meaning, she had been attacked as soon as I had left her. _I didn't sense another demon. I should have sensed one that close!_ I had no idea why I was rushing back to help her. I had no real obligation to, but I still found myself running along the path out of Magnolia.

When I reached the area I had left her, I came upon an empty sidewalk. I followed her scent into the trees, and had a bad feeling she had been dragged into them. I found her gun a few feet into the forest, concern washing over me. When I finally found her, my blood instantly boiled, and I felt myself revert momentarily back to my more violent self, where the demon was in control. The only thought on my rage-filled mind was to protect Levy.


	6. 5: Apology Accepted

**_~Levy~_**

I returned my gun to its holster with a sigh. That wasn't the first time a vengeful demon had come after me, nor would it be the last. I thought I had sensed another demon, but it was no longer there. Shrugging, I turned to continue towards Fairy Hills and walked into something.

"That's another death we'll have to avenge." A low chuckle came from the demon in front of me, and I immediately reached for my gun.

"Ah-ah," another voice said as a hand caught my wrist.

"She'll be harder to restrain than we thought."

"But she's so tiny. I can't believe she's killed two of us already."

"You just saw her take out brother. This is the hunter."

I counted five different voices. These demons had the ability to take a human form and hide most of their presence, so I doubted if any back-up would be coming. _I'll have to kill them myself._ Using the demon who held my wrist as leverage, I kicked the demon in front of me in the face, sending him to the ground.

My attack seemed to set the other four off all at once, though, and I was suddenly being dragged into the cover of the dark forest. If I managed to free myself from one's hold, another quickly replaced it. I rammed the back of my head into my current captor's nose, earning a yelp. I jumped from their arms and drew my gun, pointing it at the first demon I saw. Unfortunately, that meant I wasn't focused on the demon behind me, whom had grabbed a large rock and used it to hit me in the head just as I turned to face them. Blood began gushing down the left side of my face, making it hard to see out of my left eye. I had dropped my gun as I fell to my knees, and was being dragged further into the trees before I could try to get it.

"Damn you!" I growled. There was a demon on each side of me, so it would be difficult to escape again. "What are you planning?" I asked.

"You have shamed our family by killing two of our brothers," the demon to my right said.

"And now we will return the favor," the demon to my left chuckled.

"Here is fine." I recognized the demon I had kicked in the face as he directed the others, and I guessed he was their leader.

"Even if you kill me, the other hunters will hunt all of you down," I spat as four of them held me down.

"Don't worry, we won't kill you," the fifth smirked, his red skin disgustingly bright despite the near pitch black of the forest around us.

"Brother is going to mark you," one told me. It felt as though there was ice running through my veins at his words.

Many species of demons that were able to take human forms were also known for "marking" human women. They would seduce and impregnate them, and then wait for the half-demon offspring to be born. Once it was, the demon would return and steal the child from the mother. Women who become pregnant with a demon's child develop a mark on their wrist that resembles a blood red full moon. It cannot be removed no matter the method, and signifies that they have been tainted by a demon. Such women were ostracized, and looked down on by everyone.

As a hunter, being marked was as good as being given a death sentence. Every hunter took an oath to never allow themselves to be seduced by these demons, and to instead hunt them down and kill them. No matter the conditions under which a hunter becomes marked, they are expelled from their organization, and banned from ever joining another.

I struggled as hard as I could against the four sets of hands holding me down, but they wouldn't budge. The leader of the group grabbed the hem of my dress and yanked, ripping it up the middle to expose my underwear and bra. He took one of his claws and sliced down the middle of my chest, cutting my bra and leaving a small scratch between my breasts. I closed my eyes as he leaned down to lick the blood from my skin, but heard him instead give a pained curse before he was no longer on top of me.

"Brother!" The demons around me shouted, releasing me in order to attack whatever had attacked their leader. More shouts caused me to open my eyes and sit up. I attempted to wrap my dress around myself as I stood on wobbly legs.

I shrieked when one of the demons crashed onto the tree beside me before turning to dust. In a matter of seconds, all of them had been defeated. A large form approached me from the shadows, but I ran for it before I could see what it was. _If it took out five of those guys in less than a minute, I don't want to stick around._ I joyously grabbed my gun off the ground as I passed it, and knew I was close to the path leading to Fairy Hills.

Right before I reached the edge of the forest, a hand wrapped around my wrist, forcing me to a stop. I let go of the shredded dress I was attempting to hold together and used my free hand to shoot at whatever was behind me. I fired three shots before realizing I had heard that same ringing noise before. I turned and watched as three flattened bullets fell from Gajeel's chest.

He looked as though iron scales were covering his entire body, giving him the same appearance he had had the first time we fought. This time, however, his eyes were red instead of white, and he looked concerned.

"Are you alright?" He asked, ignoring the fact that I had just tried to shoot him three times.

I quickly holstered my gun, pulled my hand from his grasp, and wrapped the fabric of my dress around myself with both hands. I could feel the heat burning in my cheeks as they turned scarlet, but I tried to ignore it, turning quickly so my back was facing him. "Y-yeah," I said.

"Here." Something draped over me, and I realized it was his shirt. The black vest went nearly all the way to my knees when I put my small frame inside of it. I tore off a piece of my already ruined dress and wrapped it around my head. I wasn't sure it would stop the bleeding, but at least it would keep the blood out of my eyes. I noticed that sometime during the fight I had lost my headband, so my bangs were soaked with blood and stuck to my forehead.

"Thanks," I mumbled, trying not to notice how wonderful his shirt smelled.

"You should go to the infirmary—"

"I can take care of wounds like these myself," I told him. I didn't want to go to the organization in my current condition. I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist again. Involuntarily, I recoiled, jerking my arm away from him. "I'd like to go home."

The next time I tried to leave he didn't stop me. Instead, he silently walked beside me. Although he said nothing, I'm sure he wanted to. It was hard _not_ to notice the worried glances he kept sending in my direction.

"I'm fine," I sighed, taking all the pity I could. "I'm not some porcelain doll that's going to shatter on the ground. I can walk myself home."

"You were almost—"

"Yeah, but I wasn't," I said. "Thank you for that," I added, "but you don't need to babysit me now. I'm fine."

"I'm walking you home," he frowned. "I'm not babysitting you."

"I don't need you to walk me home," I told him, stubbornly.

"I know. I just want to."

"How did you even know about any of that?" I asked, knowing he was walking me home whether I wanted him to or not.

"Coincidence," he shrugged.

"You're a terrible liar," I giggled, looking up at him. I instantly regretted it because my eyes fell on his bare chest, and the laugh caught in my throat. _My God. He's actually kind of beautiful. Okay... _really_ beautiful. More than beautiful._

"What?" He snapped. I jumped, my face turning scarlet once again.

"I-It's indecent to go half-naked around a girl you barely know," I scolded, staring at the ground as we continued walking.

"Fine then, give me back my shirt," he said.

"No!" I gasped, wrapping my arms around myself. "Y-you're off the hook th-this time because you were doing me a favor."

"Gihihi," he chuckled, patting me on the top of the head. The action of affection caught me off guard, and my muscles stiffened. He pulled his hand away, joining me in frowning at the ground as we walked in silence once more.

"Sorry for shooting you," I said as we reached the gates of Fairy Hills.

He shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Not like I'm hurt or anything."

"I should probably get stronger bullets," I chuckled, jokingly.

"Wouldn't blame ya," he grinned.

"Well, thanks for earlier," I said, unlocking the gates and stepping inside. "Um, Gajeel?" I asked as he turned to leave.

"What?"

"I accept your apology," I smiled. It was obvious that he regretted what had happened between Shadow Gear and himself, so taking some of the guilt off his chest was the least I could do after he had helped me. I went inside the dorms before he could respond. Once in my room, the reality of what had nearly happened hit me.

I stumbled to the bathroom and fell to my knees in front of the toilet, getting sick. Although I had been a hunter for so long, I had never faced the threat of being marked by a demon. Usually, they just tried to kill me. Perhaps it was because I looked so young; I wasn't sure of the reason. I had heard of Lucy being threatened several times, to which Natsu always burned them to a crisp. Erza had once a few years ago, but after what she did to the demon that had threatened her, none dared to ever make that mistake again.

_They all actually look their ages, though. It isn't surprising they've been threatened because of how beautiful they are. _I had always secretly hoped I would never be faced with that, and had truly believed I never would be. _I'm not particularly pretty, so I think this all caught me off guard._ I knew looks had nothing to do with what had just happened. They were being vengeful, and trying to find the most effective way to completely destroy me. If they had succeeded, they would have.

With a sigh, I pulled myself off the floor and made my way around my bookshelves to get to my bedroom. I fell onto my bed and breathed in the smell of Gajeel's shirt. I hadn't noticed before because I had never been very close to him for an extended amount of time, but he smelled _really_ good. The material smelled of Iron, soap, and something that I'm guessing was just Gajeel's scent. Taking deep breaths of the calming mixture, I fell asleep.

**_~Gajeel~_**

"Um, Gajeel?" I heard as I was leaving Fairy Hills. I turned to look at Levy, wondering what she could want.

"What?" I asked.

"I accept your apology," she said, smiling at me. Before I could say anything, she rushed inside, leaving me alone in front of Fairy Hills' closing gates.

I couldn't help but smile to myself as I walked back to the small house Makarov had purchased for me. It was outside of Magnolia, so I'd have my privacy, and sat just between Fairy Tail and Fairy Hills. Actually, it only took about five minutes to walk back to my house after I had convinced my legs to move.

I hadn't ever expected Levy to forgive me-especially not so soon. Just a few hours before, she had told me off, so it wasn't surprising her words had caught me off guard. _It's probably just because I helped her get away from those demons._

Just thinking about them made me want to rip something apart. _Those bastards were going to mark her, weren't they?!_ I knew what it meant for a hunter to get marked. They practically had to start their lives over, and were forever branded as some vile being. I had no sympathy for the women who willingly chose to have sex with a demon, but to be forcibly marked- I growled. _I can't really talk, though, considering _I'm _a demon._

Levy had looked so fragile, laying on the ground beneath that demon as he had ripped her clothes. I had attacked them before I had even the chance to think twice about it. As I had killed them, the only thought that kept replaying in my head was "_mine._"

"That's ridiculous," I grumbled to myself. There was no reason for me to have those kinds of thoughts. After how badly I had hurt her, I had no _right_ to have those kinds of thoughts. I told myself it was just my desire to protect her. I had to make up for what I had done, so I felt a sort of obligation to her. _That's all it was. Just an obligation._

**_~Levy~_**

When I awoke the next morning, I was immediately greeted with a wonderful scent. I remembered I was still wearing Gajeel's shirt as I sat up. The black material hung loosely over my small body, showing just how different Gajeel and I were in size. Reluctantly, I removed the shirt and my ruined dress before going to my bathroom. Not taking a shower the night before had been a mistake, because now dried blood crusted my face and hair.

Taking off the rest of my clothes, I stepped into the shower. I let the warm water wash away the blood, and I breathed in the steam beginning to fill the air of my bathroom. I gently scrubbed the gash on my forehead, wincing slightly as I did so. Next, I washed the scratch between my breasts, trying not to remember why it was there.

_I don't know what I would have done if Gajeel hadn't arrived when he did._ I sighed, sitting on the floor of my shower and pulling my knees to my chest. _Once again, I proved how weak I am. I should have been able to handle petty demons like those! I've killed more powerful demons than that before, so that should have been easy._

I was even more humiliated that Gajeel had been witness-yet again-to my weakness. Not to mention the fact that I had been half-naked when he showed up. I groaned, resting my head on my knees. "I need to dedicate more time to building up my physical strength. Yesterday proved that being a good shot isn't enough. I need to improve my hand-to-hand combat skills." I lectured myself as I sat there, letting the water run over me.

Feeling a new sense of determination, I finished showering and got ready for the day. I threw on a pair of beige shorts and an orange tank top, tied my bangs back with an orange ribbon, and put on a pair of sandals. I quickly bandaged the cut on my forehead and adjusted my top so the scratch between my breasts wouldn't be visible.

"Oh, right!" I said, remembering Gajeel's shirt. I decided to wash it before returning it to him, so I waited around my dorm room while it washed and dried. I went over my plans for the day in my head as I waited. If Master didn't assign Shadow Gear a job, I would spend the entire day at the gym. If Gray wasn't busy, I'd ask him for help. _Gray will be a good choice because he's nearly as strong as Natsu, but he won't go overboard. I'd ask Erza, but I'm afraid she'd kill me. If I asked Lu-chan, Natsu would undoubtedly tag a long, so that's also a no-go._

I heard the familiar beeping of my dryer, and rushed to grab Gajeel's shirt. I folded it neatly and placed it in a small bag before running to Fairy Tail. _I don't want anyone to see I had his shirt. It might bring up awkward questions._

I spotted Gajeel immediately at a table on the farthest end of the cafeteria, away from everyone else. I slowly approached his table, clearing my throat when I got there.

"Yeah, what?" He asked, shoving something silver into his mouth. _Is that iron?!_ I knew dragon slayers could eat their element to gain power, but I never thought it was possible for someone to eat iron. _I shouldn't be surprised...Natsu eats fire._

"Here," I said, handing him the bag.

"What's this?" He raised an iron-studded eyebrow at me as he peered at it.

"Your shirt," I told him. "Thanks for letting me borrow it." I walked away from his table as soon as I had thanked him.

"Levy!" Lucy shouted, frowning as she ran over to me from the entrance of the building. "What happened to your face?"

"Nothing," I reassured her, grabbing her worried hands, "I ran into a pesky demon last night and got a cut. No big deal." _Sorry, Lu-chan, but I'm not ready to give the full details._

"You sure you're alright?" She asked.

I smiled at her, "I'm sure. Now, enough about my problems. I'd rather hear about you and Natsu."

She blushed, moving blonde bangs from her face as she avoided eye-contact with me. "W-what about us?"

"Lu-chan," I grinned, "it's not really a secret that you two have been dating behind Master's back for a while now. I'm pretty sure even he knows."

"Th-that's just a stupid rumor!" She waved her hands, the blush darkening on her cheeks.

"Hey Luce!" Natsu smiled, draping his arm over Lucy's shoulder as soon as he found her. "Where did you want to go tonight for our da-"

Lucy slapped her hand over his mouth, giving him a warning glare. "Later," she said.

"Date tonight?" I chuckled.

"Yeah," Happy giggled, flying above them, "those two are in loooove."

"Stupid cat!" Lucy groaned.

"Like I said," I winked, nudging her in the side, "everyone already knows."

"Yeah, well, I'd like to not advertise it to the world like these two," she sighed. "Dragon slayers are still on the council's 'trouble makers' list, so I want to keep it hushed. Since they're still considered demons, it's technically illegal to be involved with them like _that_."

"So, you two are-"

"I-I didn't say that!" She denied, though her face told me otherwise, as did Natsu's mischievous grin.

"Whatever you say," I shrugged. "As long as you're careful, that's all that matters. Besides, you two are kind of cute together."

"Thanks Levy," Natsu smiled.

"Don't encourage him," Lucy sighed, but she smiled as well.

"I'm off to see Master Makarov, so I'll catch you guys later," I told them, excusing myself. I met up with Jet and Droy at our usual table, then went with them to Master's office.

"Master? It's Shadow Gear," I said, knocking.

"Come in," he answered. When we entered the room, he put down a file he had been looking at and smiled at us. "What can I do for you?"

"We were wondering if you had any specific assignments planned for us, or if we were free to choose one off the request board?" Jet asked.

"Things are fairly calm," he said. "Other than this stack of paperwork I have to fill out for the council, I haven't heard from them lately. You're free for a few days, so do whatever you'd like."

"Right. Thanks, Master," Droy told him as we left.

"So, Levy, what do you want to do?" Jet asked me. "Should we go pick a job off the request board?"

"Actually, I think I'm heading over to the training facility again today," I said. "There was some more stuff I wanted to work on, and I'd like to take advantage of the time off to do it."

"Great idea," Droy nodded. "I could use some weapons practice, so I'll head over there with you."

"Same here," Jet added. "Let's all go together." We all walked to the training facility, then went our separate ways.

I went to the combat building and changed into the work-out clothes I kept in my assigned locker inside the girls' locker room. I tied the laces of my black sneakers tightly before pulling my hair into a ponytail with the ribbon already holding back my bangs. I then stretched, not really wanting to pull anything and have to stop training. My black shorts went to my upper thigh, enabling me to move freely. My white tank top didn't really hide the scratch on my chest as much as I would have liked it to, so I applied some cover-up to it. Lu-chan had given me some a few months ago, but I only ever used it to cover up injuries like these.

I realized I had completely forgotten about asking Gray for help as I finished getting ready and stretching. _Oh well. I'm already here, so I might as well just work by myself. If Master doesn't assign us a job tomorrow, I can always ask him for help then._ I planned to spend every day off training. Shadow Gear had taken a few big jobs recently, so I had plenty of money for a while. I wouldn't need to work until Master gave us an assignment.

After putting my supplies and gun in my locker, I grabbed the empty bottle I kept in there, filled it with water, and went to the training room. I sighed in relief when I didn't run into anyone. The place was pretty much deserted, except for Elfman and his younger sister Lisanna. They were testing their martial arts against each other on one of the mats at the other end of the room. _Good. I can train alone._ I wasn't very strong, so I hated lifting weights or going head-to-head with other hunters.

I sat my water bottle down, then began punching one of the weighted bags which hung from the ceiling. I found a rhythm of punching and kicking, and went on like that for several minutes. In the midst of kicking the bag with my right foot, I felt someone coming up behind me. The presence wasn't friendly, so I spun on my heel, swinging my right leg towards whoever was sneaking up on me.

"Nice try, Shrimp," Gajeel smirked, catching my ankle before my foot met his chest.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people," I panted, straightening as my foot returned to the ground.

"I didn't," he shrugged. "I came here to workout, same as you. I saw you over here, and came to ask if you were sure you should be pushing yourself so hard after what happened yesterday."

"Nothing happened yesterday that would prevent me from training," I frowned.

"You're a tough little thing, aren't ya?" He chuckled, patting me on the head.

"Will you stop that?" I snapped, smacking his hand away. "I know I'm short, but you don't have to treat me like a child. I've been a hunter my entire life. Something like what happened last night isn't going to keep me from doing my job."

"Why did you look so pissed, then?" He asked. "Before I interrupted, you looked like you were trying to kill that poor bag."

"I'm just training. You shouldn't be concerned about what I look like."

"How about I train you?" He offered.

"Absolutely not," I said, immediately. "I'm fine, thanks."

"You aren't going to get anywhere with that bag," Gajeel sighed. "The most effective way of improving your fighting skills is to actually fight another person. You're too dependent on that gun of yours, so you need practice attacking others and defending yourself without it."

"You-"

"But you already know that," he said, quietly, "and that's why you're in here, isn't it? Because of last night, you want to get better at fighting hand-to-hand instead of with your gun. I've seen you use that thing, and I'll be the first to admit you don't need anymore practice with it. You're one hell of a shot, but not much of a fighter."

"I _do_ know that," I sighed, crossing my arms over the scratch on my chest. "I'm not going to get help from you, though."

"Why not?" He frowned.

_He doesn't get it. I can't bring myself to fight him again. I already know how much stronger he is, so I'd just look like a weakling if I let him help me. _"Because I can train by myself."

"I'll make you a deal," he said, stealing the ribbon from my hair in less than a second. "If you can get back your ribbon, I'll leave you alone. If not, you'll agree to training with me."

"Why are you so eager to help me?" I frowned, moving blue bangs from my eyes.

"I just feel like it," he shrugged. "The old man isn't letting me go on jobs yet, so I have nothing better to do."

"Then find some other source of entertainment!" I snapped, trying to grab the ribbon from his hand.

He quickly lifted it just out of my reach, stepping back. I watched in anger as he tied it around his left forearm before smirking down at me. "Like I said, try to get it back."

"Gajeel, I'm not messing around!" I said, kicking him in the gut.

He exhaled with a curse, bending over. Just as I reached for the ribbon once more, he grabbed my arm and flipped me over his shoulder. I cried out as my back met the hard floor. "Nice try," he chuckled.

"Hey, man, not cool!" Elfman said, seeing what Gajeel had done. He and Lisanna rushed towards us, probably thinking Gajeel had attacked me.

"It's alright," I told him, getting to my feet. "Sorry to have interrupted you and Lisanna."

"Geez, don't be so rough," Lisanna warned Gajeel, "especially when you two aren't on the training mats."

"Tch," he frowned, crossing his arms.

After they returned to their own training, I turned to Gajeel. "You shouldn't be so reckless like that. I knew you weren't being serious, but they didn't. Most of the hunters here don't completely trust you yet, so they might have tried to fight you if I hadn't told them it was fine."

"Let 'em," he shrugged. "I can take on weaklings like that no problem."

"I know," I sighed, "that's what I'm saying. You should be trying to get along with everyone, not fighting with them."

"Why should I? It's not like I want to be friends with weaklings like them anyways," he scoffed.

"You belong to an organization now. I don't know how organizations were in the past that you have been involved with, but Fairy Tail is special. We treat our comrades like family, and protect them with our lives. If you want to fit in here, you need to start doing the same."

"Who says I want to fit in?"

I sighed again, giving up. "Do whatever you want. I can't stop you. I'm merely giving you some advice."

"I don't care about any of that," he said, waving me off. "I want an answer."

"No," I told him, flatly.

"Why?"

"I can train by myself. Will you please give me my headband and go away? You're wasting time by just standing there."

"I think I'll keep it," he told me, walking off.

_Damn him! He's so arrogant, and rude, and-_ "Fine," I grumbled.

"Hm?" He stopped walking and turned to look at me. I knew he had heard what I said, but was going to make me actually say it.

_Bastard._ "Fine. I'll train with you."


	7. 6: Bonded

**_~Gajeel~_**

"Ouch!" Levy groaned, face-planting the mat below our feet. We had been training for over three hours, and she was starting to wear out.

"Let's take a break," I said. Ignoring her protests, I sat against the wall and took a large gulp from my water bottle. As I watched her drink her own water and catch her breath, I frowned. _What the hell am I doing? _The ribbon she used as a headband was still tied around my arm, and caused her scent to drift into my nose every time I moved. Since we had been training, that had been a lot.

I had no idea what I had been thinking when I told her to train with me. Seeing her working so hard when I had arrived made me want to help her, though I wasn't sure why. It also made me angry that she felt she _needed_ to train so hard. _What am I thinking? She's a hunter, so of course she needs to train hard! _It bugged me, thinking about her going on assignments with the two weaklings she called teammates. _They couldn't protect her, even if they wanted to._

"Hey," she said, standing and stretching, "let's get back to it. If you're going to train me, you aren't going to slack-off. I'd like to get my headband back by the end of the day, so hurry up."

I grinned, watching her walk back to the training mat. She was anything but weak, I'd giver her that. She never quit. "Come on," she told me.

I realized I had been staring, and cleared my throat. "Don't get bent out of shape, short stuff. I'm comin'." As I faced her on the mat, I still couldn't believe we were the same age. I was a good foot taller than her, and about three times as big around.

She came at me again, punching hard. Had I been anything but a dragon slayer, it probably would have hurt a lot. _But I _am_ a dragon slayer_, I reminded myself. For the first time in my life, that fact kind of bugged me. Sure, being a dragon slayer was great, and I was nearly indestructible, but that also put me in my own world-away from anyone who wasn't also a dragon slayer. Watching Levy fight so hard, I resented how different we were.

"-jeel. Gajeel!" Levy's stern voice brought me out of my own thoughts.

"What?" I growled.

"You were staring off into space. If you aren't going to take this seriously-"

"Calm down, Shrimp," I told her, "I'm taking this seriously enough."

"It didn't look like it," she grumbled under her breath.

"Attack me again. Then you'll see I'm being serious."

She didn't have to be told twice. Her right foot shot out, aimed at my stomach, and found its target before I could dodge it.

"Would you stop with the low blows?" I breathed, bending over slightly. _Damn, she's got one hell of a kick._

"A hunter should always use an opponent's weakness against them in combat. You don't shield abdomen attacks as fast as you do other attacks, so aiming for your stomach would be the quickest way to incapacitate you."

As she swung her leg to kick me again, I hooked my foot around her left ankle and pulled her off balance. She tumbled to the floor with a curse. "And you always kick with your right leg, using the left one to balance," I smirked.

"So you do pay attention during a fight," she said, standing. "I'm impressed. I thought you were all fists and no brains."

"The hell are you tryin' to say?" I frowned.

She laughed, shaking her head. "Nothing."

I stared at her a moment as she laughed. Her hazel eyes seemed to glow as the warm smile lit up her face. Just like the first time I had seen it, I was shocked at how genuine her smile was. It was as though all of her joy was being displayed on her face for everyone to see.

"Alright, Shrimp, enough fun and games. I might think you aren't taking this seriously," I grinned, mocking her earlier lecture.

"Fine," she nodded, "let's go." She frowned in determination, waiting for me to make the first move.

I obliged, punching towards her shoulder. As she moved out of the way of my fist, I noticed the pink tint of a scratch on her chest. My earlier anger returned when I saw the line of damaged skin running down her chest. She must have had it covered up, because I hadn't seen it when we first started our training. Whatever she had used to cover it must have worn off as she had been sweating.

"You're wide open," Levy announced, punching me in the face. I stumbled back, shocked that she had actually landed a blow to my face. She grinned, obviously satisfied with herself.

"Lucky shot," I told her.

"That's what you get for not paying attention," she shrugged.

"You little-"

"Levy!" I recognized the voices of Levy's teammates, Jet and Droy, I think was what she had called them.

"I thought you two were training," she asked, frowning.

"What's he doing here?" The dark-haired guy asked, glaring at me. I don't blame him for not liking me, so his hostility wasn't a surprise.

"What are _you_ doing here?" She asked him.

"We need to go to Fairy Tail," he said.

"Why?"

"It's the council," the other one said, "they're on their way."

"What? Why?" She gasped. I didn't like the idea of seeing those council bastards either.

"We don't know. Natsu came running into the weapons room a few minutes ago and told everyone in there."

"It must be big, if they're coming all the way to Fairy Tail," Levy said, looking deep in thought. "Alright, I'll go change and meet you there."

"Right," they nodded, leaving us alone again.

"Sorry Gajeel," she said, grabbing her water bottle, "I have to go. Thanks for the help!" She waved as she ran towards the locker rooms.

_ What's so important about the hunters' council? It's just a bunch of retired old geezers who have nothing better to do than to sit around and make up stupid laws._

"If the Shrimp's all worked up, it must be important," I murmured. _I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go and check it out. If things get boring, I'll just leave._ Somehow, though, I had a feeling it would be anything but boring.

**_~Levy~_**

I quickly washed the sweat off my body in the showers of the girls' locker room before rushing into my clothes and out the door. I strapped my gun around my leg as I ran, wondering what could have brought the council all the way to Magnolia just to pay a visit to Fairy Tail. _I have a bad feeling about this._

"Master, why is the council coming to Fairy Tail?" Lucy asked Master Makarov as I entered the cafeteria in the main office building.

"I'm not sure," he sighed, shaking his head. "I received a letter announcing their visit about an hour ago, so they should be here shortly."

"What could they want?" Mirajane asked. "Fairy Tail hasn't been particularly troublesome for some time, so they should have no reason to come here."

"It's probably just something routine," Master told us, "I don't want you children to worry."

I noticed out of the corner of my eye Gajeel coming through the doors. He pushed himself into the back of the crowd, and I lost sight of him. Before I could really look for him, the doors were thrown open, revealing three members of the hunters' council.

"Org, Michello, Yajima," Master said, greeting the council members. I hadn't expected the second, third, and fourth seats of the council to come all the way to our organization. I had been prepared for lower-seated council members, but not those three.

Org was a tall man who had long white hair, and a matching beard. Yajima was much shorter, almost Master Makarov's height, and was completely bald. He had large gray eyebrows, and a small, square mustache seated below his strangely angular nose. Michello appeared, to me at least, like an old cat. He had brown hair that pointed up into what looked like cat ears, and a whisker-like mustache. The light yellow tail swishing about behind him added to his feline appearance.

"Makarov," Yajima nodded, "long time no see." A long time before he joined the council, Yajima was a member of Fairy Tail, and even fought alongside master Makarov. The two had stayed close, even after Yajima left Fairy Tail. Truth be told, Yajima was the reason Fairy Tail got away with so much. He spoke highly of our organization to the other council members, and convinced them that we did more good than bad.

"Enough reminiscing," Org, the second seat of the hunters council, said. He frowned at Makarov, then looked around at all of us. "We're here on business."

"I assumed as much from the letter I received," Master told him. "What, may I ask, was so important that three members of the hunters' council left Era and traveled all the way to Magnolia?"

"Black Steel Gajeel," Michello said, stepping forward. "We know you have been harboring him here, Makarov, despite the council's orders to execute him."

I gasped, looking around the crowd for any signs of Gajeel. _If he's smart, he would have taken off by now. If the council catches him, who knows what they'll do!_

"That's true," Master nodded, calmly.

"Do you understand the severity of your situation?" Org snapped, angrily. "You disobeyed a direct order from the council!"

"Last time I checked, the council didn't make a habit of killing those who refuse to fight back. Gajeel surrendered to the hunters I sent after him, and agreed to join Fairy Tail in exchange for his life." Of course, Master was lying through his teeth. Gajeel had nearly wiped out team Shadow Gear. I was sure Master had done something to convince him to join, but I still had no idea what that was. _Yeah right. As if I could do anything against Gajeel._

"Fighting back or not, you were still given the order to shoot on sight," Michello growled. He looked even more like a cat when he was angry. His eyes here narrowed into slits, and his tail shot back and forth like an angry cat's.

"I'm sorry, but I refuse to take up arms against someone who willingly surrendered. That would set a bad image for hunters."

"He's right," Yajima said. "If his hunters had killed Gajeel, who wasn't fighting back, people wouldn't have responded well."

"Gajeel has been a menace to Fiore for years!" Org scoffed. "The citizens would have celebrated his death."

"You're wrong!" I found myself pushing through the crowd, standing directly in front of the three council members. "As veteran hunters, you all know the pain of loss, and have experienced death first-hand. Death is nothing to celebrate-no matter the circumstances! Sure, he has done a lot of bad things, but everyone deserves the chance to change and make up for their wrongdoings. He was once a hunter too, so we shouldn't just turn our backs on him. It should be our job to instead help him in making that change!"

"And who might you be?" Michello frowned, obviously not appreciating my forwardness.

"My name is Levy McGarden," I said, standing tall. _Levy, why are you defending Gajeel? Look what he did to you! There is no reason for you to put yourself on the council's bad side just to save his life._ Although I told myself that, I knew it wasn't true. No matter what he had done in the past, he was still a member of Fairy Tail now, and I had to protect him just like I would my other comrades.

"Levy, what are you doing?" Lucy whispered, looking worried. I didn't answer her because, honestly, I wasn't sure.

"Miss McGarden, I don't think you understand the severity of Black Steel Gajeel's crimes, nor do you know the extent of his cruelty," Yajima told me. "He has killed-"

"Are you saying you haven't killed?" I asked, making sure to meet each of the council members' eyes. "Have you not taken countless lives in your years as hunters?"

"Demon lives," Michello scoffed. "No one mourns the death of a demon."

"That demon's family does," I said, knowing first-hand the wrath of an angered and mourning demon family. "Just because they're demons, does that mean they are no longer considered living, sentient, beings? They feel pain and sadness just as we do."

"Miss McGarden," Org snapped, "while it is all good and well that you have foolish sympathy towards those creatures, that is beside the point. Gajeel Redfox is too dangerous to be allowed to go free. He may be cooperating now, but what if he grows tired of being obedient, and turns on you in the future?"

"He won't," Makarov said, sounding certain.

"You can't be so sure of that," Michello said. "He's been defective for far too long, Makarov. He must be dealt with before he hurts anyone else! If you keep resisting to give him to us, we'll have no choice but to arrest you, too!"

"Stop!" Gajeel's voice quieted everyone. The crowd parted as he stepped towards the council members. He glanced briefly at me before setting his gaze on the council members. "I'll turn myself in."

"They'll kill you," I said, shocked that he had stayed.

"Yeah, probably," he said.

"Org, Yajima, Michello, I can't allow this," Makarov said, stepping between them and Gajeel. "He has pledged his loyalty to me and to Fairy Tail, and has vowed to use his powers to help the hunters. After he has done that, I have an obligation as the master of this organization to help him follow through with those promises."

"Unless you can guarantee he won't defect again, I'm afraid this is out of our hands," Yajima told Makarov, apologetically. I knew that if he had said it, then there really was nothing they could do. Yajima was a kind man, so he wouldn't punish someone unless they truly deserved it. I knew he would have argued in Master's favor had he been able to.

A hundred thoughts began circling inside my head. I had to stop them from taking Gajeel. _I can't just stand by and let them take him away to be killed! _I could hear Natsu shouting as the guards who had arrived with the council members hand-cuffed Gajeel with special cuffs that he couldn't break using his magic. _What can I do?_

"Org, please, be reasonable here!" Master shouted.

"Like Yajima just told you," Org said, "unless you can be absolutely certain that he won't defect again, there is nothing we can do. These orders came from higher up than even me."

_How can we reassure them that he won't defect?_ I gasped, the solution hitting me. It was a risky technique, and had always been used as an absolute last resort by hunters, but it was the only way I knew of convincing them.

"Bond us!" I exclaimed, stepping directly in front of Org and staring into his eyes. "If it will reassure you, then bond us." There were several gasps from my comrades, but I ignored them. I was well aware of how foolish a thing it was to willingly request this, but I had to do it.

"What the hell are you doin', Shrimp?" Gajeel snapped, glaring down at me. "Just shut up and do as they say."

"You do realize what that means, right?" Yajima asked, eyes wide in shock from my request.

"I know," I nodded, still looking at Org as I waited for his answer. _As the second seat, he has the most authority here. If he agrees, then it doesn't matter what the others have to say._

"Absolutely not!" Makarov said.

"I'm sorry Master, but this decision isn't up to you," I stated. "Councilman Org, I am giving you the reassurance you want by suggesting this. I fully believe in Master Makarov's judgment. If he trusts Gajeel, then I will too-enough to put my life on the line like this."

"Org, we can't bond them," Michello told his fellow council member. "If he does end up defecting after they are bonded, the council will be to blame for the resulting deaths."

"I am well aware of this," Org said, considering me closely.

"Don't you think there would be a harsher view of the council if people knew you ignored this chance I am giving you, and instead went ahead and killed a man who isn't fighting back?" I asked. "At least if we are bonded, everyone will know it was a willing decision on my part."

"Fine," Org sighed, closing his eyes in defeat as he exhaled.

"What?!" Michello and Yajima exclaimed in outrage.

"Org!" Master growled.

"This is for the best. If the girl is so determined to protect the dragon slayer, I will give her this opportunity to prove she is correct about him. If she turns out to be wrong, she will pay the ultimate price, along with the dragon slayer."

"Thank you," I said, smiling at Org.

"Damn it, what are you trying to accomplish?" Gajeel snarled, stepping towards me. Several guards stepped in front of him, ready to retaliate if he attacked.

"I'm saving your life," I told him.

"I don't want you to save me," he spat.

"I'm not asking what you want," I said.

"I'll perform the bonding ceremony," Org announced. He instructed me to stand next to Gajeel, who was still fuming. Master Makarov was just as angry, and I think my fellow hunters were still in shock by my willingness to go through with this.

Org stepped in between us, placing one of his hands on the black Fairy Tail symbol tattooed on Gajeel's arm, and placing the other over the white one tattooed on my scapula. "As a hunter bound to her duty to protect the peace on Earthland, are you, Levy McGarden, prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to see that duty fulfilled?"

"I am," I nodded, suddenly extremely nervous. I had only ever read about what it was like to be bonded to someone, but had never met anyone who actually had gone through with the bonding ceremony. _I hope this works._

According to my books, being bonded to another person was like winding the string of fate around each of your lives. In the past, if a hunter encountered a demon that was far too powerful for them to kill even with assistance from other hunters, they would bond themselves to the demon. Once bonded, the life of the hunter and demon were forever connected. If the hunter's life ended, so did the life of the demon-and the same went for if the demon's life ended. Neither could kill the other without losing their own life. On top of that, the two bonded souls were connected through thoughts and emotions. They can feel each other's pain, and experience each other's joy.

It sounded quite terrifying, the longer I thought about it. Gajeel would be able to sense what I'm feeling, as I would be able to him. We would feel any pain that the other felt, and would have that connection until one of us died-thus ending the other one's life.

"To ensure the protection of Earthland from the menace known as Gajeel Redfox, I hereby proclaim him a permanent ward of Levy McGarden. You will be bonded for the rest of your lives, and shall only be separated through death." I felt something strange happening to the mark Org was touching, but didn't move. I assumed Gajeel could feel it too, because he cursed in surprise.

"You are now bonded," Org said, dropping his hands and stepping away from us. The guards freed Gajeel from his handcuffs, and exited the building.

"I hope you know what you're doing, girl," Michello frowned, leaving after them. Org silently followed, leaving only Yajima behind.

"These are brave children you have," Yajima told Makarov, looking around.

"Too brave," he sighed, looking at me. When Yajima left, and the doors closed behind him, the organization erupted in a fit of disapproval.

"Levy! What were you thinking?!" Jet asked, grabbing my arms and staring into my eyes. He looked both worried and angry.

"I couldn't just do nothing," I said, quietly.

"You could die! We all know Gajeel's powerful, but he's reckless too! What if he does something stupid and gets himself killed?" Droy shared in Jet's mixed emotions.

"Alright, settle down," Master said, loudly. Everyone hushed, waiting for him to speak. "We may not agree with Levy's decision, but we must respect it. She did what she thought was best for her fellow hunter."

I suddenly felt a boiling rage course through my body that wasn't my own, but made me frown. I looked up at Gajeel, who was emitting a murderous aura. Without a word to anyone, he stormed from the office. _I suppose I should have expected him to be angry._ From the amount of anger I was getting from him, I was almost too afraid to go after him. Almost.

"Gajeel!" I called, running to catch up to him. "Listen, I know you're angry, but that was the only way-"

"Who asked you to do that?!" He shouted, turning on me. "I sure as hell didn't! Damn it! Do you even think before you act? For someone who's supposed to be the smartest person in Fairy Tail, you certainly are one hell of an idiot. What made you think I wanted to be saved? Maybe I gave myself to the council because I wanted to die!"

"No one wants to die," I said, quietly.

"You don't know that," he growled. "After what I've done, it would be a fitting punishment. But now you've gone and done something stupid like getting the council to bond us!"

"I just thought I was helping," I mumbled.

"I didn't want your help. You should have just stayed quiet and let them take me. Instead, you completely disregarded me and had us bonded. Did you think I would be grateful to you, having my privacy taken away from me forever? It would have been better to have the council execute me!"

His words stung, making me realize just how selfish I had been. _Of course he wouldn't want to be bonded with me. As weak as I am, he probably thinks I'll end up dying soon in a fight. Not to mention the fact that we share each other's emotions. We barely know each other, so it was selfish of me to assume an invasion of his privacy this great would be met with gratitude._

His anger began to die down as he stared at me. "I'm sorry," I whispered, fighting back tears. _Don't you dare cry, Levy McGarden! You made a promise! _I had promised never to cry again, unless they were tears of joy. I would remain strong until the day I avenged the death of my parents.

"Damn it, don't get so depressed about it," he sighed. He must have been able to sense how upset I was, because I could tell he felt guilty for yelling at me. He rubbed his head in frustration, and when he moved his arm, I noticed something different about his Fairy Tail mark.

"Hey," I gasped, "your tattoo. It's outlined in white."

"Huh?" He frowned, examining the tattoo. Before the ceremony, it had been just a plain black mark. _This must be the representation of our bond_. Those bonded received a special mark, signifying that they were connected until death.

"What about mine?" I asked, turning so he could see my tattoo. If his was affected, I assumed mine was as well.

"Outlined in black," he said. "Why'd they change colors?"

"It signifies that we are bonded," I answered. "It's the link between each of our souls, connecting us to each other."

"Tch," he growled, crossing his arms.

"I'm sorry for acting so selfishly," I sighed, walking passed him. "I'll see you later."

I felt a little relieved when he didn't come after me. I wanted to be alone, and to give Gajeel his space, as we both came to terms with what this would mean. _Hell, I had barely forgiven the guy before this._ I sighed, heading to Marley's for some comfort food. _I just know this is going to blow up in my face._ There was no going back, though. _Gajeel and I are bonded to each other. Forever._


	8. 7: Pantherlily

"What's wrong, Sunshine?" Marley asked, sitting a beer in front of me. I hadn't greeted him when I came in, and had merely taken a seat at the bar with a sigh. I could still faintly sense Gajeel's anger, even while we were so far apart.

"Marley, I've done something really stupid," I sighed, laying my head on the counter top. "I've been incredibly selfish."

"Hey now," he soothed, stroking my hair, "I'm sure you only did what you thought was best."

"That's what I told myself, but I was wrong. I didn't think about how he might feel at all." My voice cracked, so I stopped talking.

He rounded the bar, sitting on the stool next to me. "I can't say you've ever come to me with guy trouble before," he chuckled.

"I wish it were that simple." I lifted my head long enough to empty the mug of beer before laying it back down.

"Alright, so it's complicated guy stuff," he mused, "tell me what happened."

"You'll just tell me I'm an idiot. No thanks," I sighed, "I already know that."

"Don't be like that, Sunshine," Marley told me. "I hate to see you upset."

"It's my own fault."

"If you'd tell me what happened, maybe I can help."

"No one can help," I said, sitting up and smiling sadly at him. "This will effect me for the rest of my life."

His eyes narrowed slightly, and he frowned. "You didn't get yourself marked, did you?" He asked, his voice a mixture of worried and angry. I had received a lot of that emotional combination in the last few hours.

"What? No!" I said, immediately.

"That's good," he sighed, relieved. "If it isn't that, it can't be _that_ bad."

"I bonded myself to a demon," I mumbled, proving him wrong.

"WHAT?!" His fist slamming on the counter caused me to jump, and I shrank back when he stood, staring down at me furiously. The bar had gone silent, and everyone was staring at Marley. Already a scary-looking man, Marley reflected the full deadliness of all his years as a hunter when we was angry. Even I was a little afraid of him. "To what demon?" He demanded.

"Gajeel Redfox," I said, quietly. His anger immediately deflated, and he sank back onto the bar stool.

"Sunshine," he whispered, looking stunned, "why'd ya go and do somethin' like that?"

"The council paid a visit to Fairy Tail today with the intentions of taking Gajeel with them to be executed," I explained. "I couldn't just let them take him to his death."

"So ya went and got yourself bonded to him?"

"It was the only way to convince them he wouldn't defect again," I sighed, realizing how stupid I sounded. "I thought I was helping him, but he hates me now."

"It'll take him a while to get used to it," Marley said, stroking my hair again, "just give him time." When a black and tan Exceed sat down at the end of the bar, Marley got up. "Well, I gotta get back to work. I'll have those fries and burger for ya soon."

I nodded, sitting quietly while he took the Exceed's order. He refilled my beer, then disappeared into the back to start our orders. When he left, I pulled a few thousand Jewel from my wallet, climbed over the bar, and slipped them into Marley's duffel bag.

"Why did you do that?" The Exceed asked, frowning suspiciously at me as I climbed back to my seat.

"It's a long story," I chuckled. I had been doing it for so long that I didn't realize how it must have looked to other people. The regulars at the bar all knew what I was doing, so they never asked about it. The small bar didn't usually have new customers, so I often didn't think twice about my sneaky behavior. "He doesn't let me pay, so I always sneak him the money for my food and drinks somehow."

"I see," he said, turning back to his drink.

I drained my refilled mug and returned my head to the counter top. _I wonder how long Gajeel will stay mad?_ It shouldn't have mattered if he was mad at me or not, but it did. I barely knew him, but the thought of him hating me sent an odd feeling to the pit of my stomach.

"Here ya go, Sunshine," Marley smiled, handing me a plate full of food. "Eat up, because I have somethin' special for ya."

"Really?" I asked, eating a fry. "What would that be?"

"It's a surprise," he chuckled, ruffling my hair. I moved bangs out of my face, smiling. The smile disappeared when I realized I wasn't wearing my headband. _Gajeel must still have it!_

"Oh great," I grumbled, taking a large, angry bite out of my burger. I ended up finishing my food quickly. My training with Gajeel earlier that day had left me famished, so I shyly asked for seconds when Marley came to check on me.

"Anything for my best customer," he winked, going to get me more food. When he came back and handed me my plate, I noticed he was carrying a bowl filled with kiwi. He sat the fruit in front of the Exceed, raising an eyebrow at the demon when he thanked him and dug in.

"You like kiwi?" I asked, watching him with interest.

"Of course," he said. "Do _you_ like kiwi?"

"I love kiwi," I grinned. "I've just never seen an Exceed eating them before. The two that I know usually eat fish or some other meat. Well, Carla doesn't eat as much fish as Happy does. That guy loves fish." I giggled, thinking of the blue Exceed who always seemed to have an abundance of fish wherever he went.

"You know other Exceeds?" He asked, curiously.

"I do," I nodded. "They are the close companions of two of my friends, Natsu and Wendy." Although Exceed were one of the few "peaceful" demon species which had a treaty of protection with the hunters, not many people befriended them. There were so many other species of evil demons that the kind Exceeds were often times feared in the same way as the other demons. Knowing two for such a long time, I had grown very fond of the Exceeds, and hated that they were still feared by some people.

"We usually keep to ourselves, so I'm a little surprised that two of my kind have become so close to humans."

"Dragon slayers, actually," I corrected him.

"What?!" He gasped.

"Natsu Dragneel and Wendy Marvel," I said. "They are two dragon slayers that belong to Fairy Tail. That's my hunters organization."

"You're a hunter?" He asked, looking at me skeptically.

"I have been for most of my life," I frowned, a little defensive. I was proud to be a hunter, and it bugged me when people assumed because I was so small I couldn't do the job.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I just thought you appeared too kind to be hunter, that's all."

"Too kind?" It was my turn to look skeptical. "Are hunters supposed to look mean?"

"Not necessarily," he said, grinning. "I meant your personality was too kind. I can't imagine you going out every night and exterminating demons."

"You'd be surprised," I said. _Honestly, if my parents hadn't been killed by a demon, I may not have ever gone into this profession._ I hated fighting, and only did it so that I could get one step closer to readying myself to kill the demon which had killed my parents. It was so powerful that I knew the only way I'd be able to kill it was to become a trained hunter and grow stronger myself.

Our conversation came to an end when Marley came back from the kitchen, carrying two slices of pie. He handed one to me, and the other to the surprised Exceed.

"This was the surprise?" I asked, staring at the beautiful piece of dessert in awe. It looked so delicious that I didn't even wait for his answer before taking a bite. "Kiwi!" I grinned, moaning a little at the heaven in my mouth.

Marley laughed, watching me with amusement. "I thought, since ya were havin' a bad day, that this might cheer ya up."

"You thought correctly," I giggled.

"Why did you bring me a slice?" The Exceed asked. He hadn't taken a bite yet, though his eyes were sparkling a little as he eyed the pie in front of him.

"You kept Sunshine company for me, and seemed to make her a little happier," Marley told him, smiling, "so it's my thanks to you. On the house."

After he left to tend to other customers, Lily devoured his pie, looking like he had been transported into some dream world. "So," he cleared his throat when he noticed me laughing, "I take it you are the owner's daughter?"

"No. Marley and I have just known each other for a long time. I took care of a pesky demon for him a few years ago, and I've been visiting this little place ever since then. That's why he doesn't let me pay, so I have to sneak him payment when he leaves to get my food ready. I catch hell for it about once a month when he finally goes through his duffel bag and finds the money, but I make him keep it."

"That's kind of you," the Exceed stated.

"I don't think so," I said. "I'm just paying him for my food. I'd hate to take advantage of his kindness like that, and I genuinely enjoy it here, so I come often."

Actually, I had been there just the night before. _Gajeel was sitting next to me last night, though._ I sighed, cutting our conversation short as I remembered what had happened at Fairy Tail. _Gajeel and I are bonded now._

I fell back into my earlier depression, and ended up drinking eight beers. I knew it was foolish to bury myself in booze, but it felt better to forget for a while how stupid I had been. After a long time of laying my head drunkenly on the bar, I could feel myself sobering up. I glanced at the clock above the booze rack behind the bar, and gasped. It was nearly midnight.

"I'll see you later," I said, getting off my bar stool. I gripped the bar for support when my legs threatened to give out, but slowly steadied myself.

"You sure you're ready to leave?" Marley asked.

"Yeah," I giggled, blowing him a kiss. "Bye Mar-Mar!"

He chuckled at the old nickname I had given him a few years ago, and waved as I left. The night air hit me in the face with a cool breeze, sobering me up a little.

"I shouldn't have stayed so long drinking," I sighed, walking home. I walked slower than usual so that I wouldn't fall. I was still a little wobbly on my feet from the booze.

Though my senses were duller than usual thanks to my over-consumption of alcohol, I could tell that someone was coming up behind me. Something touched my leg before I could turn around, and I screamed. We were just outside of Magnolia, so someone should have heard me. _If I can't take care of this myself, at least I know someone will be coming soon._

"I'm sorry!" I looked down as the black Exceed from before backed away, his hands raised. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Why are you following me?" I asked, putting my hand on my gun in case I needed to draw it quickly.

"You forgot your wallet," he said, holding up my small white wallet as proof.

"Oh, thank y-"

Lily was suddenly hit with a familiar-looking iron club, sending him flying. I gasped, looking at a concerned Gajeel as he ran over to me. "Why did you do that?!" I snapped, glaring at him.

He looked completely shocked at my reaction. "What? But, I thought-" He was cut off when a large fist punched him right in face.

**_~Gajeel~_**

I walked around Magnolia for several hours, still fuming at how stupid that girl was. _I was prepared to hand myself over to the council! Why did she have to intervene like that?! I've lived a fairly long life, and have done more than my share of bad things, so my punishment would have been deserved. I was ready to die._

But that girl had had other plans. Instead of just doing what she was told, she had convinced old man Org that bonding us was a good idea.

"Why did she want to protect me so badly?" I growled, kicking a stone hard enough that it embedded itself into a brick wall. "I almost killed her, so she should have celebrated the idea of the council taking me off to be executed somewhere!"

In the middle of my angry ranting, I heard a scream coming from only a couple blocks away. "That sounded like-" A sudden rush of fear flowed into me. My muscles tightened as I felt the strange sensation of the Shrimp's fear. It would take a while getting used to being able to sense her emotions like that. I didn't have time to contemplate it farther, though, because my feet were already moving in the direction the scream had come from.

Oddly, I could tell where she was, even without the scream to tip me off to her location. _It must be because of this annoying bond._ An inner voice snarkily reminded me that I didn't think it was annoying as I rushed to help her, but I ignored it.

I reached the Shrimp, who was apparently facing off with an Exceed, and attacked him immediately. I could tell she was drunk by the way she swayed slightly on her feet, so I rushed to her, wanting to be there to catch her if she fell.

"Why did you do that?!" She snapped, glaring at me as if I had done something wrong.

I gaped at her, totally confused. "What? But I thought-" A large fist suddenly hit me square in the jaw, knocking me to the ground.

I heard the Shrimp gasp in surprise, and saw her cup her own face. _She must be able to feel that, too._ "Damn," I growled. "That means I can't let him hit me again." I looked at the black Exceed from before, and my eyes widened. "You're huge!" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet.

"I'm a warrior, therefore I have this form I can take for a certain amount of time," he said, taking a battle stance. _Damn, how am I going to avoid getting punched now?_

Before either of us could move, Shrimp jumped between us, holding out her arms. "Wait!" She said. "I think there has been a misunderstanding."

"Was the dragon slayer not attacking you?" The Exceed asked.

I couldn't help but laugh, since I had been thinking the same thing about the Exceed. "I couldn't hurt the Shrimp even if I wanted to," I said.

"Sorry," she smiled, turning to face the Exceed. "Gajeel is in Fairy Tail with me, and was only trying to protect me. I assume he heard my scream and got the wrong idea when he arrived and saw you." I nodded, confirming her explanation.

"That's alright," he said, "I made the same assumptions when a dragon slayer appeared out of no where and punched me. I thought that maybe you would be his next target. I apologize."

"Yeah, whatever," I sighed.

"Thank you for returning my wallet," Shrimp told him, giving him that warm smile of hers.

_Way to go, dumb ass. The cat was doing a good deed, and you attacked him!_

She turned back to me, her smile disappearing. "Why are you here, anyways?"

"I heard you scream," I shrugged, "and this damned bond led me to you."

"You two are bonded?" The Exceed gasped, looking between us in shock.

"As of this afternoon we are," Levy chuckled, nodding. I would have been angry with her flippant attitude, had I not seen the small bruise beginning to form on her jaw. While the cat's punch hadn't affected me that much, mine and Levy's bodies were built differently. It took a lot more to injure my body that it probably did a normal human's. _I'll have to be more careful._

"I'm sorry," the Exceed said, frowning regretfully, "if you are bonded, then that attack also hurt you."

"Don't worry about it," she said, "I'm so drunk I can barely feel it."

He smirked at her, and I involuntarily stepped forward. I lifted her off the ground, cradling her protectively in my arms as I frowned at the Exceed.

"Hey!" She gasped. I realized what I had done, and suddenly felt like an idiot. _Why the hell did I do that?_

"You need to go home and go to sleep," I said, making up an excuse for my strange behavior.

"What's your name?" She asked the Exceed, seemingly forgetting about me as she looked at him again.

"Pantherlily," he said, reverting back to his smaller size, "but you may call me Lily."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Levy McGarden of Fairy Tail," she giggled. "You know, you should consider joining."

"And become a hunter?" He asked.

"Yeah! You have that cool battle form and everything! I'm sure Master would love to have you join our organization. You could be Gajeel's partner! He's alone all the time, so maybe a cute Exceed like you could keep him company so he isn't lonely."

"Who the hell said I wanted someone to keep me company?!" I growled, seriously considering dropping her drunk ass onto the hard ground.

Lily looked thoughtful a moment before he nodded. "I would like that. I have been traveling to different places living off work I found here and there for several years now, so joining an organization might be nice. Would your master accept an Exceed hunter?"

"Of course!" Levy said. "Like I told you before, we have two other Exceed in our organization. You're the only one I know of that has that awesome battle form, though, so I bet he'll be really impressed!"

"Alright. I shall speak with your master in the morning," he told her.

She beamed at him, and I could sense her happiness. "You should really consider being Gajeel's partner, too. The other dragon slayers have Exceed partners, so it would only make sense for Gajeel to have one as well."

"And where do you get that that makes sense?" I asked.

"It just does," she shrugged, turning her smile to me, "besides, I think you two would work well together. You're both really strong."

"Tch." I frowned, not wanting to admit that the cat had a pretty deadly right hook.

"Lily, where are you staying tonight?" She asked him. "You just arrived in Magnolia right? Do you have a place to stay?"

"I was on my way to acquire one when I found your wallet," Lily said.

"You should stay with me!" She exclaimed.

"He'll stay with me. If we're going to be on the same team, he might as well," I snapped before he could accept her offer. I didn't like the idea of another guy sleeping in her room. _Even if he is just an Exceed._

"You really don't have to-"

"It's no big deal," I grumbled, knowing I had no choice now. "Come on, let's take the Shrimp home."

"Look at you, coming out of your shell," she giggled, patting me on the cheek, as I began walking to Fairy Hills.

"Touch me again and I'll throw your ass down," I warned, not liking the way her hand sent electricity throughout my entire body.

She merely giggled again, returning her hand to her lap. I inhaled sharply when she leaned her face close to mine. "Gajeel," she cooed, smiling devilishly at me.

"What?" I asked, forcing my eyes to stare straight ahead.

"I got my headband back!" She squealed, holding up the ribbon and laughing. I had been so distracted that I hadn't even noticed her take it off my arm. Actually, I had forgotten it was still there after everything had happened that afternoon.

"Is she always like this when she drinks?" Lily asked, flying beside me.

"No idea," I shrugged. "I've only known her for a few days, so this is the first time I've ever seen her drunk."

"Is your bonding the reason you joined Fairy Tail?"

"No. That was just something that happened because the Shrimp can't mind her own business."

"Hey!" She snapped, frowning at me. "I can hear you!"

"Good."

She crossed her arms, looking away from me as she pouted. The way her eyebrows came together as she scrunched up her face made her look kind of cute, but I'd never tell her that. After a few minutes, she sighed, leaning her head against my shoulder. I inhaled sharply in surprise, which was a mistake, because as I did, I got two lung-fulls of her scent. She smelled like ink and sunshine, and something else that sent my head spinning.

"I feel funny," she said. She must have been feeling what I was, so I forced myself to keep it together. _You're not alone anymore, Gajeel. This damned girl can feel everything you do, so stop acting weird._

"You're drunk," I offered.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, burying her face in my neck, "you probably want nothing to do with me, but now you're carrying me home."

There were _plenty_ of things I wanted to do with her, but none of those thoughts came to me voluntarily. _What the hell is wrong with me?! _Never in my life had one tiny human had such an effect on me. Her hot breath against my neck caused me to nearly fall over for some stupid reason.

_It's the bond_, I reminded myself. I had heard that demons felt a strange connection to whoever they were bonded with, causing them to act differently. _That has to be it._

"Don't worry about it," I managed to say.

"Are you alright?" Lily asked, looking at me strangely.

"Fine," I said. We walked in silence until we reached the gates surrounding Fairy Hills.

"Thanks for bringing me home," Levy giggled as I sat her on her feet.

"Let's not make a habit out of it," I grumbled.

"Nice to meet you, Lily," she smiled, scratching behind Lily's right ear. "I'll see you two tomorrow!" With that, she went unlocked the gate and went inside the building.

"Come on," I sighed, turning away from Fairy Hills once she was out of sight. "I'm tired."

"I will meet your master in the morning, correct?" Lily asked, following me.

"Yeah," I nodded, grinning at him. "Fairy Tail could use a bad-ass like you. Gihihi."


	9. 8: Replacement Team

**_~Levy~_**

"That's strange," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes as I began to wake up, "how did I get home?"I remembered talking with that black Exceed at Marley's, but nothing after that. I had been drinking a lot, so assumed that's where my hazy memory had come from.

"No more alcohol," I groaned, making my way to the bathroom. I rummaged through the medicine cabinet, grabbed some pain medicine, and swallowed the maximum amount the bottle told me I could take. "Maybe I should take five or six more pills," I sighed. For some reason, my jaw was extremely sore, and there was a large bruise on it. _Did I get into a bar fight or something?_

I stripped out of the clothes I had been wearing the day before, and took a shower. I tipped my head back, letting the hot water hit me in the face. Willing the heat to help my headache go away, I took large breaths of the steamy air. When that didn't work, I shut off the water and wrapped a towel around myself, going back to my bedroom to change.

"Hm," I said, noticing a yellow ribbon laying on the floor beside my bed. "Isn't this the one Gajeel took from me yesterday? When did I get it back?"

I pressed my mind for some inkling of when I might have seen him the night before, but couldn't remember anything. If I had the ribbon, I _had_ to have seen him after I left Marley's. "After I got drunk," I groaned, embarrassment consuming me. I acted like some kind of childish idiot when I drank too much, so I usually never let that happen. I sometimes said stupid things, too. "I wonder how much worse I made everything," I sighed, slipping into an orange dress. It was trimmed with white and tied around my neck-which was perfect, because I didn't want to have to worry about covering up the scratch on my chest. I tied on the separated sleeves before grabbing my ribbon off the floor and pulling my bangs back with it.

"I guess I should head to Fairy Tail," I said to myself, locking my room's door as I left. "I wonder if Master Makarov will send us on an assignment today."

"Good morning, Levy!" Wendy smiled, meeting me just outside the gates of Fairy Hills. "Are you on your way to Fairy Tail, too?"

"Yeah," I nodded, smiling in greeting at her. Despite being nine years younger than me, Wendy was nearly as tall as I was, and was beginning to fill out in the chest area, too. I sighed to myself, secretly hating how my dress hung unhindered from my neck.

"Would you like to walk together?" Wendy asked.

"That would be great," I said. Wendy sometimes worked with team Shadow Gear on assignments, so we had become pretty good friends over the last couple of years. When her former organization had disbanded three years before, she was brought to Fairy Tail by Master Makarov. Everyone was excited, obviously, because she was our third dragon slayer. Although she was just a child, Wendy was incredibly powerful-as was expected from a first generation dragon slayer like Natsu. Her powers were strengthened by the air, though, since she was a sky dragon slayer.

"What happened to your face?" Carla, Wendy's white Exceed companion, asked.

"Oh, this?" I touched the small bruise on my jaw. "It's probably just from a brawl."

"Probably?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I drank a little too much at Marley's last night," I explained, earning myself a disapproving _tsk_ from Carla.

"Would you like me to heal it?" Wendy offered.

"No," I chuckled. "Thanks anyway." Along with Wendy's other dragon slayer abilities, she had amazing healing powers. A lot of the magic she used was to assist others during battle, and to heal their injuries. _That's the complete opposite of Gajeel's powers. His are only for destroying things._ I shook myself. _Why am I thinking about him?!_

"Are you feeling warm, Levy?" Wendy asked. "Your face is flushed."

"N-no! It's nothing," I gasped. Luckily, we had arrived at headquarters, and I was spared from any further questions. Jet and Droy met me inside the doors and immediately inquired about my face. Once again, I explained that it wasn't a big deal.

"Took long enough," Gajeel growled, sitting across from me at the table Jet and Dory had led me to.

"What?" I had no idea what he was talking about. _Was he waiting on me for some reason?_

"Don't tell me you forgot!" He sighed in exasperation before leaning over and grabbing something off the floor.

"It's you!" I exclaimed, staring at the black Exceed from the night before as Gajeel sat him on the table. "What are you doing here?"

"You invited me to join Fairy Tail," he said, calmly.

"I did?"

"Told ya she'd be too drunk to remember," Gajeel scoffed.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, looking down at my hands.

"It's alright," the Exceed smiled. "Last night you forgot your wallet, so I returned it to you. Gajeel showed up, and misunderstood why I was there, so we fought briefly before you cleared up the situation. After seeing my battle form-"

"You have a battle form?!" I had never heard of an Exceed demon having a special form for battle.

"Yes," he nodded. "As I was saying, after you saw my battle form, you invited me to join your organization. You mentioned something about teaming up with Gajeel because he was lonely."

I groaned, putting my head on the table. "Did I really say that?"

"You did," Gajeel frowned, crossing his arms. "Since you invited Lily to join, you need to take him to see Makarov."

"Unless you wouldn't like me to join," he added.

"Your name is Lily?" I asked.

"Pantherlily is my full name, but you may call me Lily."

"That's so cute," I giggled, scratching him behind the ear. "Alright, Lily, I'll take you to meet Master Makarov. I wanted to see him about an assignment anyways, so it will be perfect."

"Levy," Jet whispered as he, Droy, and I led Lily and Gajeel to Master's office, "are you sure about this? I mean, you barely know that Exceed. You didn't even remember inviting him to join Fairy Tail."

"I was drunk," I told him. "I'm sure, so trust me."

"Alright, I'll trust you, but why is _he_ coming?" Jet frowned, pointing his thumb at Gajeel.

"He's going to be on Lily's team," I said.

He grumbled something under his breath as I knocked on Master's office door, but I paid him no mind. _I'm still angry at Gajeel, too, but he's a member of Fairy Tail now. If we never forgive those who hurt us in the past, we'll never be able to move forward. _I nearly laughed at my own hypocrisy. _Aren't I the one who became a hunter for the sole purpose of seeking revenge? I can't really talk about forgiving and moving on, can I?_

"Come in," Master's voice interrupted my thoughts, and I opened the door to let us all inside.

"Master Makarov, I would like to make a request," I said, bowing slightly in greeting.

"What is it, my dear?" He asked from his seat on top of a work desk.

"Pantherlily would like to join Fairy Tail and become a hunter," I told him, motioning for Lily to step forward. "He has a very unique skill that I think we could benefit from, and he seemed enthusiastic about joining." I actually couldn't remember if he had been enthusiastic or not, but since he had shown up this morning, I assumed that meant he was.

"What is this skill?" Master looked at Lily.

Before our eyes, Lily transformed into a muscular Exceed that stood as tall as Gajeel. I hadn't noticed it before, but the small sword he carried had also grown, matching his new size. "Wow!" I gasped.

"Can you fight?" Makarov asked.

"Yes, sir," Lily nodded.

"Would you be able to kill other demons?"

"Yes," he repeated, seriously. "If a demon becomes a threat to those who cannot fight, then I will fight for them. I have been doing freelance demon-hunting for a few years now to make a living as I traveled around Fiore."

"I'll have Mira give you a Fairy Tail tattoo," Makarov smiled. "Welcome to Fairy Tail."

"Thank you," Lily smiled back, bowing. I watched in fascination as he returned to his normal size.

"Why have all of you come?" Makarov asked, looking behind Lily and I to the three men waiting quietly by the office door.

"Jet and Droy came with me to ask about assignments, and Gajeel came because he is going to form a team with Lily."

"Another Exceed-slayer team," Makarov chuckled, "alright. Gajeel, I'm giving you permission to begin taking assignments since you have a teammate. I'll trust you to keep Gajeel out of trouble," he told Lily. "As for Shadow Gear, I don't have anything specific for you. There haven't been any major occurrences with powerful demons lately, so everyone has just been picking jobs off the request board. If one comes in, I'll let you know."

"Thank you, Master." I bowed and left with the rest of the group, a little thankful for the lack of large assignments. My hangover was still bothering me, and it would have been a hindrance on an important assignment.

"Are you going to train again today?" Droy asked.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"You have been every day that we've had off, so I assumed you'd go again if Master didn't give us a big job."

"Sorry," I told him, "if you and Jet would like to take a job from the request board, go ahead. I don't want to keep you two here if you'd rather be working."

"We wouldn't want to leave you here, though," Jet frowned, looking conflicted. I could tell that both he and Droy were beginning to get tired of training every day, so I encouraged them to take a job without me.

"I'll be so busy training that I won't have time to think about anything else," I reassured them. "You two should go."

"Are you sure?" Droy asked.

"Positive," I nodded, giving them one of my biggest grins. "Just don't have too much fun without me."

"We could never!" They both gushed, causing me to giggle. I waved as they ran to the request board.

"What the hell is their problem?" Gajeel frowned. I jumped, not realizing he was still standing beside me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Never mind," he sighed. Although he shrugged me off, I could sense some anger coming from our bond. I had no idea why he would be angry, so I tried to ignore it. _I need to learn how to tune out these sensations. It will drive me crazy eventually if I don't. Besides, I feel like I'm spying on Gajeel, knowing what he's feeling all the time._

I was about to ask him again what he had meant, but Lucy's urgent voice cut me off. "Levy, do you have a minute?" she asked.

Her brown eyes were bright with fear, which made my muscles instantly tighten. "Sure," I told her, allowing myself to be pulled outside. She dragged me to the back of the building, and looked around once we were out of anyone's earshot.

"Lu-chan, what is it?" I asked, grabbing her hands as I stared into her eyes.

Tears filled them once she was certain we were alone, and she wrapped her arms around me. "It's terrible," she cried. I could feel warmth as her tears began falling to my shoulder.

"What's wrong?" I hugged her back. Lucy was always so strong, so to see her this upset was unsettling. Whatever had happened, it had to have been something really bad.

"Levy, I-I-," she pulled away, looking at me as tears soaked her face. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Lucy, what happened?" I asked, more sternly. She was freaking me out, and I began to feel a little afraid myself.

"I'm marked." She slowly lifted the her left sleeve, showing me her wrist. Where there used to be only smooth skin, now there was a mark in the shape of a full moon. I frowned as I looked at it, noticing something peculiar about it. The mark wasn't red, as it should have been. Instead, it was jet black.

"Why is it black?" It was a stupid question, giving the circumstances, but I wasn't sure what else to say. No matter what I did, there would be no way of consoling her. She knew what would happen if anyone found out.

"I don't know," she cried, more tears falling onto the front of her shirt. "I woke up this morning, and there it was. Levy, what am I going to do?" She collapsed to her knees, the cries turning to sobs as I sat on mine and wrapped my arms around her.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Maybe the council will pardon you since Natsu is a dragon slayer."

"You know those bastards would never do that." Gajeel's rough voice caused both of us to jump. Lucy gasped, quickly rolling down her sleeve to hide the mark. I stood to face him, blocking Lucy from his line of sight.

"Why did you follow us?" I asked.

"I didn't," he snapped. "I was getting some weird vibes through this damned bond, and could tell you were pretty freaked out. I didn't know what was going on, so I just came to check it out."

"How much did you hear?"

"I'm a dragon slayer," he said, "so I heard everything. As soon as I came outside I could hear you two."

"What are you going to do now that you know?" Lucy asked, standing. She wiped her face and fixed Gajeel with a glare.

"It ain't any of my business," he shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned, I should be congratulating you and moving on. See ya."

We watched in shock as Gajeel walked away. Lucy collapsed onto the ground once more, silent tears again soaking her cheeks. "Congratulate me?" She asked, almost in a whisper. "I haven't even thought about that. I was so concerned with this stupid mark on my wrist that I completely overlooked what it meant. Natsu and I are going to have a baby."

I knelt down in front of her, not sure what to say. My eyes widened when she suddenly smiled brighter than I had ever seen her smile before. "Levy, Natsu and I are going to have a baby."

"You are," I nodded, giving her a small smile in return. She pulled me into a hug, and I couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying-or both. We stayed like that for several minutes until she finally calmed herself down. I watched as she touched the sleeve covering her mark, looking at it almost as if she were in awe.

"I know I'll have to hide it from everyone or Natsu and I will be in trouble, but that doesn't mean I should be ashamed of it, either. I'm going to have a baby with the man I love, and I can't be ashamed of that." Lucy looked at me, smiling. "It's going to come out after I start showing, but for now I'm going to be happy."

"I'll do what I can to help," I said. I was terrified for what she would face in the near future, but I wouldn't ruin her brief moment of happiness. "Since your mark isn't red, maybe I can find something in one of my books that will exempt you from the council's laws."

"If anyone can find something, it's you," she nodded.

"We should go back to Fairy Tail. Natsu might worry if you're gone too long." A thought crossed my mind as I helped her to stand and we began walking to the front doors of headquarters. "Does Natsu know?"

"He was with me this morning when I saw the mark," she said, blushing slightly. "We've been living together for about a month now."

"What?!" I gasped.

"Sorry for not telling you," Lucy sighed. "To be honest, we'd be married by now if it wasn't illegal. Moving in together was the only thing we could legally do, so that's why we're doing all of this backwards. We kept it a secret because we knew the organization would go overboard with some kind of congratulations. It would surely make it back to the council if they did, and then they'd get suspicious about _why_ we were living together. Neither one of us wanted that, so we decided just to keep it a secret from everyone."

I chuckled, "Fairy Tail _would_ do something like that. I'm happy for you, Lu-chan. Hopefully one day you two can get married."

"Hopefully," she agreed, smiling.

**_~Gajeel~_**

I returned to the table I had been sharing with Lily, feeling uneasy. After sensing the Shrimp's fear, I had immediately excused myself and rushed to her. I wished now I hadn't. _So the blonde and Salamander are going to have a baby, huh?_ I felt kind of bad for them. News like that was supposed to be happy. The council wouldn't see it as something to be celebrated, however, and I knew they'd face the punishment of any other hunter that had allowed themselves to be marked. Natsu would most likely be killed, and Lucy would be kicked out of Fairy Tail. Even worse, they council would force her to have an abortion, not wanting to "taint" the world with demon-human half-breeds.

_Those bastards should have thought about that before they created the dragon slayers. We're nothing more than half-breeds ourselves._ In my opinion, the council should just keep their noses out of everyone else's business. Under normal circumstances, the half-breed child was taken by the demon father, and later hunted down by specially-trained hunters. Since the general public believed the demons killed the half-human offspring, no one knew what truly happened. It was the hunters who killed them. If they weren't taken by the demon father, the half-breeds were stolen from the mother and executed for being a result of illegal activities.

The thought instantly sickened me, and was the reason I had defected so long ago. I had been recruited as one of those specialized hunters. Once I found out what was really going on, I fought against it. Afraid I would tell their dirty little secret, the council had proclaimed me defective, thus insuring no one would believe my claims against them.

That's why they had tried so hard to kill me over the years-and why they were afraid enough to send three high-ranking members of the council all the way to Fairy Tail to arrest me after I had joined the organization. They wanted me dead so I couldn't educate the public to what they were really doing behind the scenes.

I shook those thoughts from my mind. That was a dark time that I didn't want to return to. _I'm a member of Fairy Tail now. I can start building evidence against them in secret while I'm completing my duties as a hunter. _And that's exactly what I planned to do.

"Gajeel, Lily," Makarov said, approaching our table, "have you seen Levy?"

"No," I lied, shaking my head. Lily did the same, though his was honest an honest answer.

"Send her to my office if you see her," he told me. "It's urgent." As he spoke, Levy and Lucy entered the cafeteria, smiling. _Why are they so happy?_

"Levy, perfect timing," Makarov grinned, "I have an important assignment that just came in. I'm going to need Shadow Gear to leave immediately."

"I'm sorry, Master, but Jet and Droy just left to go on another job," she apologized. "They wanted to work, and I was going to train since we didn't have any assignments from you, so I told them to go ahead without me."

"Your language skills are why I picked Shadow Gear for this assignment, so we'll just have to find you a suitable replacement team for it," he said.

"Who would-"

"We'll accompany her," Lily spoke up, stepping forward.

"Great," Makarov nodded. "Here's the file containing everything you'll need to know," he handed the file to Levy, "you can read it on the train. You have a three hour ride ahead of you, and your train leaves in one hour, so I'd go get packed if I were you. You'll be gone a few days, so pack accordingly." He was gone before I could protest.

"What the hell?!" I growled, glaring at Lily. "Why'd you volunteer us to help the Shrimp?"

"She needed someone to assist her on this assignment, and we weren't doing anything better. Since you two are bonded, I thought it would make sense for us to go with her," Lily shrugged.

"I'm not too happy about teaming up with _you_, either," she grumbled under her breath. Had I not been a dragon slayer, I probably wouldn't have heard it. But I did, so I glared at her.

"I guess there's nothing I can do, now," I sighed. "Come on, Lily, let's go pack. We'll meet you at the train station in fifty minutes, Shrimp. Don't be late."

"_You_ don't be late," she snapped, following Lily and I out the door. She marched towards Fairy Hills angrily, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"A mission with the Shrimp. This'll be interesting."


	10. 9: The Nightmare Demon

I groaned as Levy, Lily, and I took our seats on the train. I hated trains. I hated any form of transportation, actually. I had severe motion-sickness, and nearly died every time I rode on anything mechanical. _Okay, I don't nearly die, but it feels like it._

"What's wrong with you?" Shrimp asked, sitting beside me. Lily had offered to sit in the seat across the aisle from us with our bags, since he was the smallest. For some reason, Shrimp had agreed to share a seat with me.

"Nothing," I said, crossing my arms. As soon as the train lurched forward, I collapsed against the window. Everything was spinning, and my stomach churned uncomfortably until I felt as though I would be sick. If only I _could_ throw up. I told myself if I could just throw up I'd feel better, but I never could. I simply had to ride with the dizziness and nausea the entire ride. Every time.

"You get motion-sick," Shrimp observed with a smirk. "That's kind of sad."

I tried to tell her to shut up, but when I opened my mouth the only sound that came out was another groan. Ignoring her giggle, I closed my eyes and pressed my head against the cool glass of the window. Eventually, I began to feel less sick, and I convinced my body to go into a sleep-like state. I was still sick, so resting was impossible, but as least I could zone out until the end of the train ride.

Suddenly, I felt a soothing warmth on the right side of my head, causing me to sigh. I leaned into whatever it was, grateful for the way it helped chase away some of the nausea. The warmth soon spread to the left side, as if someone were stroking my hair. _Wait a minute-_

My eyes shot open, and I bolted upright, realizing where I had been. Somehow, my head had ended up in the Shrimp's lap. _Was she _petting_ me? Like a damned cat?!_

"What the hell were you-ugh." I fell against the window before I could finish, all of my former nausea returning.

"You fell asleep about an hour ago. When we went around a curve, you fell over into my lap. I didn't want to wake you, since it seemed you felt better when you were sleeping, so I just left you there," she said. She looked a little pale herself, and I assumed it was a side effect of my own sickness she was receiving through our bond.

"Oh," was all I could manage. _This damned woman. What the hell is her problem?_ I wasn't exactly sure why I was mad at her. The thought of her doing something as simple as stroking my hair-and it actually making me feel better-infuriated me. _Someone so little shouldn't have that much power over me. What the hell is going on?!_

"Would you like to lay in my lap again?" She asked.

I was so shocked that my motion-sickness momentarily disappeared as I gaped at her. "What?"

"It seemed to make the ride more bearable for you," she shrugged. "I can feel how awful it is, and I don't mind if you do." She smiled at me, as if it weren't a big deal to have a man laying in her lap.

"No way-" The train hit a bump in the tracks, causing me to fall over. Nausea getting the better of me, I stayed put, allowing my head to rest on her legs. Although I hated to admit it, I felt a lot better as she continued aimlessly stroking my head. _Damned woman._

**_~Levy~_**

I watched as Gajeel put his head against the window when the train began moving. I could feel how sick he was through our bond, and my own stomach clenched a little. After a while, the sickness on my end went away. I glanced at Gajeel again, who was breathing deeply. _He must have fallen asleep._

As the train shot around a curve, Gajeel's sleeping body fell over, his head landing in my lap. I gasped in surprise, but decided against moving him when he didn't wake up.

"Lily, could you hand me the assignment file?" I asked, turning to the Exceed.

"Here," he said, handing it to me. "What does it look like we have to do?"

I opened the file and quickly read through the documents Master Makarov had placed inside. "It seems we have to take out a powerful demon that has been destroying a small island village. According to this, the islanders speak their own language, so other hunters that have gone haven't been able to get a lot of information out of them. Because of this, they could never locate the demon." I frowned. "That's odd. If it's on an island, the hunters shouldn't have had any problem locating the demon."

"Communication with the islanders will be crucial, then," Lily murmured. "From what you've just told me, only they will be able to lead us to the demon-or be able to give us any information on it."

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Should we wake Gajeel and tell him?" Lily asked, looking down at the sleeping dragon slayer in my lap.

"No. We can tell him once we get off the train. We'll have to find a boat once we get to Hargeon, so I can explain everything while we're searching."

Suddenly, Gajeel's eyes shot open, and he sat up. "What the hell were you-ugh." He fell against the window before he could finish. I could sense his motion-sickness returning, and my stomach clenched again.

"You fell asleep about an hour ago. When we went around a curve, you fell over into my lap. I didn't want to wake you, since it seemed you felt better when you were sleeping, so I just left you there," I said.

"Oh," was all he gave me as an answer.

"Would you like to lay in my lap again?" I asked. I didn't know why I was, honestly. Some part of me felt bad for him, and didn't like to see him looking so miserable.

His eyes widened in shock as he gaped at me. "What?"

"It seemed to make the ride more bearable for you," I shrugged. "I can feel how awful it is, and I don't mind if you do," I said as I smiled at him.

"No way-" The train hit a bump in the tracks, causing him to fall over. His Nausea must have gotten the better of him, because he didn't try to move. Instead, he relaxed his shoulders and closed his eyes.

I aimlessly stroked his hair, having nothing better to do. I was amazed by how soft his hair was. The long black spikes looked rough, but they were incredibly soft to the touch. I saw him grin a little in his sleep, so I giggled. _He likes being comforted just like everyone else. He can't be too bad, then._

"Levy," Lily said, bringing my attention back to him.

"Yes?"

"We're here." I looked out the window, surprised to see the train had come to a stop.

"Gajeel," I whispered, shaking him, "we've arrived."

He yawned, sitting up as he rubbed his eyes. "About damn time," he grumbled. We grabbed our bags and got off the train. The small port town was a flurry of activity as people went to and from the parked train. I could smell the sea from where we were, and took a deep breath.

"I'll find someone with a boat while you fill Gajeel in," Lily said. He summoned his wings before flying off over the crowd.

"A boat?" Gajeel asked, following me to an empty bench. I patted the wood beside me, waiting for him to take a seat. "Don't tell me we're getting on a _boat_ next."

"It will be a short ride," I reassured him. Before he could protest, I held up my hand. "We're going to a small island just off the coast here, so we should only be on the boat for about ten minutes. I read over the file Master gave us, and this mission might be a little tricky. The citizens in the small village we're going to speak their own language-and are the only ones who can help us find this demon we were sent to kill. With any luck I'll be able to understand them and translate for us. The other hunters who have gone on this assignment could never find the demon because they couldn't speak with the villagers, so I assume that means they know something important about the demon's location."

"What if you can't translate?" He asked.

"That's where it gets tricky," I frowned. "If I can't speak with them, we might have to do what the other hunters have done and just search the island for it. If Master chose me for this, I assume that means he believes I'll be able to speak with them, so I'm crossing my fingers."

"How much does it pay?"

"Oh, I don't know." I hadn't ever looked at the payment, so I had no clue. When I did, I nearly dropped the files.

"What?" He asked, noticing my wide eyes. He grabbed the files, and I heard him give a small gasp in surprise. "Thirty million?!"

"That's how much the assignment was to hunt you down," I noted, wondering how powerful this demon really was.

"Only thirty million?" He asked, sounding offended. "That's it?"

"Don't be so full of yourself," I snapped, my shock wearing off.

"I'm worth at least fifty million," he smirked.

"That's debatable," I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

"You-"

"I found the boat," Lily said, flying back to us.

"Great! Let's go!" Not waiting on Gajeel, who was grumbling curses under his breath, I took off after Lily.

"There are boats for rent over there," Lily told me, pointing to a plump man standing in front of a few paddle boats.

"Excuse me, sir," I said, smiling at the man as I approached. "What are the rates for renting your boats?"

"Five thousand Jewel a day," he said, rather unfriendly.

"We would like to rent one, please," I told him, "for three days." That rate was cheap, so we had been lucky.

He frowned, looking behind me at my companions. "They goin' too?"

"Yes," I frowned, confused as to why that mattered.

He turned away, walking back to his boats. "Sorry, lady. I don't rent to demons."

My mouth opened slightly in shock as I stared at him. As the shock ebbed away, anger replaced it. I started forward, angry that he would treat Gajeel and Lily that way. "Wait just a minute-"

"Don't," Gajeel said, putting a hand on my shoulder to stop me, "we'll go somewhere else to get a boat."

"No," I snapped, brushing him off, "you and Lily are hunters, the same as me. I'm not going to stand around and do nothing while he treats you like that!"

"I'm used to it," Gajeel frowned.

"You mean, that happens a lot?" I asked.

"You must've been pretty damned sheltered to not know how it is out there for demons-even the good ones. We get turned away from all the time, and there's nothin' we can do about it."

"Please try not to let it bother you," Lily smiled, patting my leg with his paw.

"But-"

"Come on," Gajeel said, walking away. Instead of following, however, I turned and stormed towards the rude man.

"Listen up," I snapped, slamming my hands down on top of an overturned boat he was standing behind, "you _will_ rent my companions and I a boat."

"To hell I will," he growled. "Ain't no way two demons are getting in my boats. How can I trust you'll even bring it back?"

"We are members of Fairy Tail, and are here on an assignment. As hunters, I give you my word-"

"Hunters or not," he frowned, "no demons are getting on my boat."

"Listen here, you bigot," I fumed, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him across the boat to glare at him, "how well do you think the hunters council would take the news that you are deliberately withholding services from hunters while on an assignment that came straight from them? With a short phone call I could have your entire business shut down, so you'd better think this over carefully. Either you rent my companions and I a boat, or I-the _human_-will just take one and report to the council what you've been doing here. So, are you going to rent me a boat, or not?"

"Th-three days, you said?" He asked, looking quite shocked that I had threatened him so outright.

I released him, smiling, "that's right. Your fifteen thousand Jewel will be left before we depart. Please ready the boat." With that, I returned to Gajeel and Lily, who were both staring at me in bewilderment.

"What the hell did you just do?" Gajeel asked.

"I merely reasoned with the kind gentleman," I said, innocently. "The important thing is, we have a boat."

We gave the man his money before getting on the boat once it was ready. You could see the small island from the shore, so we didn't need a guide to reach it. Lily transformed and rowed the boat, since Gajeel was incapacitated as soon as he got on it. After a few minutes, I noticed something off about the way we were floating.

"Are we sinking?' I asked.

"I'm not sure," Lily frowned. "The waves appear to be getting higher on the sides, so it is possible." He rowed faster, just in case my suspicions were correct.

After another minute, we both knew they had been. Water began sloshing into the boat, and it sank even faster into the water.

"We'll have to swim," Lily said, grabbing Gajeel and throwing him from the boat. I dived in after him, while Lily summoned his wings and flew above us.

"Why'd ya do that?!" Gajeel asked, coughing up water.

"The boat sank!" I snapped. "Damn him! He sabotaged the boat!"

"Don't get so upset about it," Gajeel sighed, grabbing my arm.

I yelped when he pulled me closer. "What are you-"

"Get on my back. I'll be able to swim faster if I don't have to wait on you," he instructed.

"I can swim just fine on my own," I frowned, pushing him away.

"If you want to be in this water with god knows what, then have it your way. I'm not waiting," he snapped, swimming towards the island. I followed, though the distance between us grew with each stroke he made. My bag was heavy in the water, and made it hard to swim very fast.

"Whoa!" I gasped as I was lifted out of the water.

"You're both being stubborn," Lily sighed, carrying me with amazing speed towards land. We reached the beach the same time as Gajeel did. All of us were soaking wet, and our supplies were pretty much ruined from being dunked in the ocean.

We sat on the beach as I went through my bag. "If I lay this stuff out in the sun to dry, it might not be damaged too badly," I murmured.

"Who cares about a bunch of stuff?" Gajeel asked, throwing his bag onto the ground. "Just leave it here. We can come back and get it after the mission."

"Yeah, you're right," I sighed. We walked into the thick jungle covering the entire island, and I immediately began sweating.

"Damn, it's hot," Gajeel cursed. My face grew even hotter than it already was when he took off his shirt and tied it around his head to keep the sweat from his eyes. His bare chest was covered in salt water and sweat, which occasionally ran down his muscular torso in small trickles.

"Levy, would you like some water? I managed to save some from my bag," Lily said, holding a bottle of water out to me.

I tore my eyes away from Gajeel, hoping Lily hadn't noticed my staring, and graciously accepted the water. I took a large gulp, sighing. "Gajeel?" I asked, holding it out to him.

He stiffly shook his head, never taking his eyes off the path in front of us. I frowned, wondering what his problem was.

"I can't believe what that man did," I said, thinking about it once more. The saltwater covering me had begun to dry, making my clothes and hair stiff, so I was even more angry at the man for purposely ruining our boat.

"Get over it, Shrimp," Gajeel sighed, sounding annoyed, "it's not a big deal."

I stopped walking, frowning down at the ground. "How can you say that? He's never even met you, so how can you be so calm about him treating you like that?"

"As demons, we have come across others like that man," Lily explained. "Some humans hate all demons, and there's nothing you can do to change their minds. We must accept that fact and move on, otherwise we would only ever be able to worry about those who hate us."

"It's not right," I said, not sure how to put my frustrations into words.

"I don't know why you're getting so bent out of shape," Gajeel said, "it's not like he was against you or anything. You'll never have to deal with any of that, so-"

"You shouldn't have to, either!" I snapped. "Sure, there are bad demons out there, but you two aren't them. Exceeds have lived peacefully with the humans for years, and dragon slayers were once humans themselves!"

Gajeel sighed, patting me on the head, "you're too soft for your own good, Shrimp, ya know that? Just forget about it. If we say it doesn't bother us, then it doesn't bother us. Let's focus on our assignment so we can get out of this hot-ass jungle."

With a nod, I followed him. I was still upset that they were so alright with being treated like that, but I didn't say any more about it. Gajeel and Lily weren't _just_ demons-they were my friends, and I hated to see them treated so unfairly. _I bet it really does bother them. They're probably just acting all tough because I'm so frustrated about it._ If that really was the case, it warmed my heart a little, because it meant they cared about my feelings.

_What are you thinking, Levy? Gajeel's too blunt to give a second-thought to your feelings! If he says it doesn't bother him, then it probably really doesn't._ I sighed to myself. _Well, _Lily _at least might care about my feelings. I shouldn't get my hopes up that Gajeel does._

I frowned. _Why should I care if Gajeel cares about my feelings or not?_

**_~Lily~_**

I watched as Gajeel comforted Levy, and couldn't help but smirk to myself. Although I had been with them only a day, I could already tell that Gajeel cared about the small bluenette. Her words had touched me, because I had never heard a hunter speak so fondly of a demon before, and it was obvious that Gajeel felt the same way.

I walked behind them, observing the two of them for a long time. Levy's face was red, and she was trying desperately to avoid looking at Gajeel's naked upper body. Gajeel, however, was shamelessly stealing glances at Levy every chance he got. _I know _that_ isn't just the bond._ The large dragon slayer seemed almost... _gentle_ when he was around her, which amazed me. _Levy certainly has an effect on people, doesn't she?_

**_~Gajeel~_**

"This must be it!" Levy exclaimed, sounding exhausted. We had been walking for over an hour, and had run out of water halfway through the trip, so I knew how she felt. Before us stood a large wall made of wood, separating the village from the rest of the jungle.

"Hey! Anybody in there?!" I shouted, pounding on the closed doors leading into the village.

"Gajeel!" Levy gasped. "Don't do that!"

The doors suddenly opened, and a tall, thin, old woman stood in the now open doorway. She said something in a language that I couldn't understand, so I looked to Levy. She smiled up at me before stepping forward. She spoke in the same language, and I saw the woman's eyes widen a little in surprise. _That's a good sign. If Levy can speak with them, we may be able to wrap this up faster than I thought._

"She wants us to follow her inside where we can talk," Levy said as the old woman walked into the village. We followed her, and two muscular guys closed the large doors behind us, returning to what I assumed was their guard duties.

We were led into a large tent where another old woman was sitting. Her silver hair hung loosely around her, and nearly touched the ground as she sat with her legs crossed. She wore a purple robe that was decorated in gold, spiraling thread, and had on matching gold sandals. She looked up at us when we entered the tent, saying something to the woman leading us. She bowed before leaving, telling Levy something as she went.

"She told us to have a seat," Levy whispered. We all sat down, with Levy the closest to the old woman. She spoke to her in that weird language again. The woman answered in a low, tired voice, speaking slowly. She went on for about five minutes, so Lily and I waited patiently while Levy listened to the story.

Levy gave her a quick reply before turning to us. "I know why the other hunters couldn't find that demon now," she said. "This is Chief Sonya. She told me that none of the villagers have ever seen the demon in person. It comes to them in their dreams, and uses their fear to possess them. Every night a new victim is chosen, and every night that victim goes on a rampage destroying the town and harming the other villagers. Some were so bad that the warriors of the village had to kill them, even though they were possessed. They have tried meditating before sleep to ward off the demon, but nothing seems to work. The chief is afraid she will be next, so she has remained awake for three whole nights.

"If she were to be possessed, and had to be killed, the village would fall into chaos because there is no one to take her place. The ceremony to choose the next leader is in two days, so she says it is crucial for her to remain out of the demon's grasp until then. That's why she has been so desperate for the help of the hunters."

"If this demon only shows itself in dreams, how are we going to capture and kill it?" Lily asked.

"I read about demons with this kind of ability once. The book said that in order to capture the demon, you must first break its hold on you. Apparently, they enter your dreams, and turn them into nightmares, feeding off your fears. The more afraid they can make you, the more control over you they have. If you can conquer your fears while inside the nightmare, you will force the demon out into the open where it is vulnerable."

"How can we do that?" I asked.

"The demon will see us as a threat, so I can almost guarantee that it will try to possess one of us as soon as we go to sleep," Levy said.

"If we're all asleep, how will we know which one of us it will attack first?" Lily frowned.

"I've considered that, and I think I have a plan," Levy told him. "You two are going to stay awake tonight while I go to sleep. From what Sonya told me, as soon as a person is possessed, they begin acting as any other person would whom is having a nightmare. Because you're both physically stronger than I am, you will be able to prevent me from harming any of the villagers while I fight against the demon's control from inside my nightmare. As soon as I have defeated it in there, you two can kill it when it shows up here."

I listened as she explained the plan she had come up with, growing more and more uneasy the longer she spoke. "No way," I said as soon as she had finished.

"Gajeel-" She began, but I cut her off.

"You're not using yourself as bait for this thing," I growled, crossing my arms. "It's too dangerous."

"Do you have another plan?" She shot at me.

"I could-"

"Do you want to risk you getting possessed?" She asked, angrily. "If you do, do you think we would be able to restrain you for very long? As I'm the physically weakest, but the mentally strongest, it makes sense for me to fight the demon from the inside while you two handle things out here."

"She has a point," Lily nodded. "I see no flaws in her plan. This way, if she fails to defeat it, no one gets hurt, and we can try again tomorrow night."

I cursed, hating that they were both right. "Fine." I didn't like the idea of her going up against some unknown demon alone, but knew I was outnumbered. _I'll be able to sense her through our bond, so I'll know if anything goes wrong. I just have to trust in Levy this time._


	11. 10: Levy's Fear

We spent the rest of the day in the village, waiting for night to come. Sonya introduced us to a man named Karl who provided us with a change of clothes and led us to a hot-spring to wash off. He left after showing us to the spring, telling Levy we could find him after we were finished. I frowned, staring at the small pool of water. It was large enough to fit at least five people comfortably, but that wasn't the problem. _There's only one hot-spring. Are we supposed to-_

I looked up when I heard a splash, and saw that Levy had already gotten into the water.

"Hey!" I shouted, feeling my face heat up for some ungodly reason. "Don't tell me you just-"

"Just what?" She asked, standing. She was fully dressed, and frowning at me. "Did you honestly think I'd just get naked and dive in right in front of you?"

"No," I snapped. That _was_ what I thought she had done. I was relieved to see her dressed, but part of me was also disappointed. _What the hell, Gajeel?_ I shook those thoughts from my mind, cursing myself and this damned bond for making me think so strangely.

With a sigh, I followed Lily into the water, sighing happily as I sank down to my shoulders and sat on the bottom of the spring.

"This feels great, doesn't it," Levy grinned as she washed salt from her hair. "I haven't been to a hot-spring in forever!"

"We aren't here to take a bath," I frowned, untying the shirt from my head and throwing it near a tree.

"I know that," she said, "but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it. Besides, we aren't doing anything until later, anyways."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I admitted, sinking lower into the water.

"Let me wash your hair," Levy chuckled. I shot upright, startled, before I realized she had been talking to Lily. She scrubbed the fur on his head as she spoke cheerfully to him. I sank back down into the water as I watched her. I just couldn't figure her out. She took her job so seriously, yet she enjoyed such a simple thing as a hot-spring bath.

Her attitude towards me was even more confusing. One minute she hated my guts, and the next she was saving my life. Ever since we were bonded, she had been much friendlier to me, although I could tell she was still a little mad at me for what I had done to her and her team mates. _Not as much as she should be, though._ I knew that even if she was able forgive me, I probably wouldn't be able to forgive myself. I had been so foolish such a short time ago. Looking at the small hunter now, I couldn't imagine ever harming her. The only thing I wanted to do was protect her, which, of course, I knew was completely idiotic. Other than the bond, I had no reason to want to protect her. _Well, the bond and the fact that I owe it to her after what I did._

"You're so cute!" Levy squealed, hugging Lily to her chest. He blushed slightly as his head was pressed against her, and I laughed. _Even that cat gets embarrassed, huh?_ "If you ever get fed up with that big jerk, I'd be glad to have you join Shadow Gear," she said as she finally released him.

"Hey," I growled, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're a big jerk," she said, snidely.

I smirked, slowly swimming towards her. "So I'm a jerk, am I?"

"What are you-AH!" She shrieked as I lifted her out of the water, then released her. She crashed into the water, and came back up with a curse as she gasped for air.

I laughed as she splashed me, throwing insults with every wave. "You know, you're actually kind of cute when you're all pissed off like that," I chuckled.

She froze, staring at me with wide eyes. When I realized what I had just said, I froze, too. _Shit! What the hell am I saying?!_ "Don't give me that look. I said _kind of_," I frowned, recovering. She gave me a final splash before getting out of the hot-spring.

"It's going to be getting dark soon, we should head back to the village," she said.

"Yeah," I nodded, trying hard not to notice how her wet dress clung to her pale skin.

"You should turn around so I can get dressed," she told me, going to the tree on which she had hung the clothes we had received from Karl.

I did as she said, ignoring the smirk Lily shot in my direction as he also turned around. _What's his problem?_ I thought, frowning down at the water. My breath caught in my throat when I noticed the Shrimp's reflection against its surface. I told myself to look anywhere but at it as she untied the top off her dress and dropped it around her ankles, but I found myself staring instead.

Even through the distorted image from the moving water, I could tell she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Her porcelain skin was absolutely perfect-as was everything else about her. The only flaw I could see was the small scratch still on her chest, though I barely noticed it. I was too distracted by everything else to pay much attention to something so small. She turned her back to me as she took off her soaked bra and underwear, and put on the dry ones. She slid on the green dress she had been given, and I watched as she slowly slid the material over her hips before slipping her arms into the sleeves.

"Gajeel," she said, and my back went rigid as if I had been caught doing something wrong. _You were doing something wrong, you damned pervert!_ I scolded myself. "I'm done now. I'll head back to the village while you change."

"S-sure," I nodded, finally turning to face her. She rushed off, following the dirt path leading back to the village from the hot-spring.

"I saw that," Lily smirked, already out of the water and nearly changed.

"Saw _what_?" I challenged.

"Nothing at all," he shrugged. Still smirking, he followed after Levy, leaving me alone, still in the water.

I put my head on the ground at the edge of the water, groaning. "That damned girl's gonna be the death of me. I can just feel it."

**_~Levy~_**

After Gajeel threw me into the water, I splashed him, cursing. He laughed as water hit him, completely unaffected by my flurry of insults. "You know, you're actually kind of cute when you're all pissed off like that," he chuckled.

I froze, staring at him with wide eyes. _W-what did he just say?! Did call me c-cute?!_ "Don't give me that look. I said _kind of_," he frowned.

Embarrassed, I gave him one final splash before retreating out of the spring. I wanted to put distance between us so he wouldn't see the awful scarlet color my face was beginning to turn. "It's going to be getting dark soon, we should head back to the village," I said, using that as an excuse to leave.

"Yeah," He nodded.

"You should turn around so I can get dressed," I told him, going to the tree on which I had hung the clothes we had received from Karl.

I waited until Gajeel and Lily had turned around before I began changing. I sighed happily as my wet dress fell to the ground around my ankles. I had been walking around in it all day, so it felt good to finally be putting on dry clothes. I slipped out of my bra and underwear, then put on the ones Karl had found for me. The villagers made clothes to sell, so they had plenty of spares in all different sizes. I was surprised that they had clothes small enough to fit me. _They're probably clothes made for a little kid_, I thought with a depressed sigh.

I stepped into the beautiful green dress I had been given, and marveled at the material. It was a combination of cotton and silk, and had been embroidered with blue and silver thread which made intricate swirling designs on the fabric. The chest was decorated with gems the color of my hair. The separate sleeves were tight at the top where they tied with blue ribbon, and flowed open towards my hands, hanging down several inches like a waterfall of blue and green silk.

"Gajeel," I finally said, "I'm done now. I'll head back to the village while you change."

"S-sure," he agreed. I rushed off without even turning to look at him, following the dirt path leading back to the village from the hot-spring. _Although he played it off as not a big deal, he still called me cute-out loud! What even brought that on?!_

"Miss Levy," Karl greeted me in his language once I reached the village, "did you enjoy the hot spring?"

"I did, thank you," I smiled.

"Where are your companions?" He asked.

"They were getting dressed. They shouldn't be too far behind," I answered.

He nodded. "We will have a feast in your honor tonight, to celebrate your challenge to the demon and to wish you luck."

"What are these nightmares like that the demon gives a person?" I asked.

"They are different for every person. I have yet to experience the demon's wrath, but I have heard the others detailing the horrors of being under its control. They spoke of their worst fears being brought to life in the nightmares, and that they felt so real. At the time, they believed the horrors they saw were really happening, and experienced true terror because of it."

"Sounds terrifying," I shuddered, a little afraid of what my nightmares would hold.

"Do not let the demon fool you while you sleep," he warned. "You must remember that, no matter what you see, it is only an illusion, that you will wake up and everything will be alright."

"Right," I nodded, not feeling any more confident about it. Before he could give me any more advice, Gajeel and Lily caught up to us. I told them everything Karl had told me, and Gajeel's face noticeably paled.

"You still want to go through with this? Even after what he said?" Gajeel asked.

I could sense his worry for me, so I tried to reassure him. "As long as I remember it's only a dream, I'll be fine. I'm a hunter, so I deal with scary demons all the time. This one won't be any different."

"Guests, it is time for the feast," Karl said. I told the others, and we followed him. I went through the entire celebration in a daze, focusing on things I was afraid of, and thinking of ways to conquer those fears. _If I have a plan going in, it will be easier._ The only problem was, I had no idea which fear the demon would use against me.

After a long time, I could feel myself growing tired. When I yawned, Sonya approached where I sat on the ground near a tree. "Are you ready for sleep, child?" She asked, looking almost envious. If anything, I wanted to kill this demon so the poor old woman could get some rest. Going so long without sleep would be hard on anyone.

"I have to eventually, I suppose," I smiled, standing.

"The festivities will be ending soon, so I will have Karl show you and your friends to your chambers where you may prepare for bed." She left me alone again to go find Karl. I assumed he was somewhat of her head guard, because he seemed to stay pretty close to her most of the time.

"Miss Levy," he said, greeting me, with Gajeel and Lily in tow. "Chief Sonya said you were growing tired."

"Sorry to leave before the party ends," I told him.

"You are fighting for our village, so do not apologize," he smiled, leading us away from the still rowdy villagers. "You three shall sleep here." He stopped in front of a small hut-like structure, and opened the wooden door. "Chief Sonya would like to apologize that there isn't anything more suitable-"

"This is great," I said, smiling. "Thank you very much for everything. See you in the morning."

"Good luck," he told me, bowing before he left us alone in front of the hut.

"So?" Gajeel asked, and I remembered he couldn't understand the villagers.

"I was a little tired, so Chief Sonya had Karl bring us here. We'll be staying here until we finish this. Hopefully that's only tonight."

"You're alright with sharing a room?" He smirked, raising an eyebrow as we entered the small one-room hut.

"Why shouldn't I be?" I frowned, picking up Lily. "Besides, Lily here will beat you senseless if you try anything while I'm sleeping."

Lily laughed as Gajeel cursed, turning his back to me and sitting down. "Might as well go to sleep then," he told me. "We can't sleep until we kill this thing, so let's get it over with."

"You're going to watch me while I sleep?" I asked.

"You make it sound creepy," he frowned. "This is _your_ plan, remember?"

"I know. Just, stay over there until I'm asleep." I curled up on one of the mats Karl had placed in the room for us. Wrapping the blanket around myself, I shut my eyes and pretended I was sleeping at home-and that Gajeel wasn't a mere four feet away from me. Sleep came surprisingly easy, though I was a bit nervous about allowing it to take me. _Once I'm asleep, I'll be wide open to the demon's games._

My eyes snapped open, and I sat upright in my bed. "Levy, dear, come with mommy." My mother was standing over me, still in her pajamas, with a worried look on her face.

"What's wrong, mommy?" I asked, wondering why she would be waking me in the middle of the night.

"Nothing, my precious child," she smiled, picking me up and carrying me towards her bedroom. "Mommy and Daddy just want you to stay with us."

"Why?"

"Don't worry about it right now," she said, stroking my long blue hair. It fell down my back in wild waves, and my bangs fell in my eyes. I brushed them away, yawning sleepily as I laid my head on my mother's shoulder.

"Lillian, it's coming," my father said as soon as we had reached their bedroom.

My mother made a choked sound, holding me more tightly against her. "Phillip, what about Levy?"

"She'll be fine," he told her.

My mother sat me on the bed, and knelt down so our eyes were level. "Levy, baby, listen to mommy. I need you to be a big girl for me, alright?"

"Yes, mommy," I smiled at her.

She smiled back, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "You know that mommy and daddy love you very much."

"I love you too, mommy," I said. Since she was crying, I gave her a hug. That always made me feel better when I cried, but it only seemed to make her cry harder.

"We love you so, so very much." She pulled away, making me meet her eyes as she brushed blue hair out of her face. "I need you to hide under mommy and daddy's bed for a little while, and I don't want you to come out no matter what. If you get scared, promise mommy you won't scream, and you won't come out from under this bed. Instead, put your hands over your ears, clamp your mouth tightly closed, shut your eyes, and sing a song in your head."

"Which song?" I asked.

"Any song. Something happy," she smiled, more tears wetting her cheeks. "Promise me. No matter what happens...no matter what happens to mommy and daddy, you'll stay hidden under the bed."

"But why? Where are you going?" I asked, starting to feel afraid. I didn't want mommy and daddy to leave me.

"Lillian," my father said, urgently.

"Promise me, Levy," she told me, grabbing my shoulders.

"I promise," I nodded.

"I love you so much," she whispered, pulling me into a hug. My father did the same, kissing me on the forehead. They then shoved me under the bed with a pillow, instructing me to press it over my face if I felt afraid. They had just stood up and turned towards the door when it flew open, shards of wood flying in every direction.

"I've been looking for you," a low voice growled. I began to shake as I watched the boots come farther into the room. I had no idea what was going on. Why had someone broken into our house? Why was I hiding underneath a bed?

"Damn you, filthy creature!" My father shouted, running towards the figure that belonged to the boots I could see. My mother screamed, and then everything turned red and purple. The blue carpet, now soaked in blood, was a sickening purple color. I pressed my face into the pillow as tears ran down my face. _Where did all of this blood come from?_

My mother ran at the creature, and the boots stumbled back. I heard some sort of ripping noise, then my father fell to the ground. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the gore in front of me. My father's head had been ripped from his body. The creature dropped it when my mother attacked him, causing it to roll towards my hiding spot underneath the bed. It came to a stop mere inches from me, and I could still clearly see the agonizing pain and fear in my father's otherwise blank eyes.

I pressed my face into the pillow and covered my ears as my mother screamed again, this time in pain. _Why is this happening? What did mommy and daddy do to that creature? Why has it come here?_ When everything grew silent again, I lifted my head. "Mommy," I mouthed, wordlessly, not breaking my promise to remain silent. Her arms were laying on opposite sides of the room, and her stomach was ripped open.

I watched as the boots turned to leave, still shocked at what had just happened. Just as the boots reached the doorway, they paused. I scooted back when they turned, heading towards the bed once more. When the entire bed was thrown through the wall, I screamed. Knowing it had seen me, I dropped the pillow and bolted for the door. _If I can get outside, maybe someone can-_

A hand painfully grabbed my arm as I reached the living room. I was thrown back, and hit the wall hard. When I looked up, I found myself staring into cold white eyes. They belonged to a large demon that had what looked like iron scales for skin. His black hair hung down his back in spikes that were nearly as unruly as my curls.

He outstretched a clawed hand, gripping the front of my nightgown and pulling me roughly off the ground. My struggles were met with an amused smirk that exposed his fangs. "Silly little girl," he growled, shaking me. "If you stop struggling, I might kill you quickly, like your mother and father."

My shoulders shook as I sobbed, though I tried to stop them. I was so afraid, but I had no idea what to do. I was only a little girl. How could I do anything against a monster?

He drew his arm back, putting the tips of his fingers together so that his claws formed almost a point. I knew he was going to put that hand through my body. As his hand shot forward, I screamed. "Gajeel, stop!" I cried, closing my eyes. _Wait a minute. Gajeel?_ That name sounded so familiar.

He paused, the tips of his claws just breaking my skin. He pulled away, staring at me in shock.

Suddenly, I wasn't a four-year-old child. I was myself. Gajeel held me in the air as we stared at each other. "P-please," I whispered, "stop this, Gajeel."

He dropped me, looking almost afraid. I got to my feet and stepped closer to him, holding out my hand. Although I had just witnessed him massacre my parents, I was no longer afraid of him. _There's something I need to remember. It's important. What could it be?_

"Levy, I-" he began, lowering his arms, "-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

I wrapped my arms around him. For some reason, I wanted to comfort this demon. I should have hated him, but instead, I felt bad for him, and didn't want to see him upset. "It's alright," I said as he leaned down, placing his head on my shoulder. "I know you didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"Yes, I did," he chuckled darkly.

"Wha-AH!" There was suddenly a blinding pain in my stomach. When I looked down, I saw Gajeel's forearm sticking out of it. The rest of his arm was through me, his hand sticking out my back. He ripped it mercilessly from my stomach, laughing as I fell to the ground.

"Pathetic human," he growled, bringing his booted foot down on my wound. He laughed when I screamed in agony. "I killed your parents, and now I've come to finish the job. You were all sorry excuses for hunters, so the council is better off with out."

"G-Gajeel...w-why?" I gasped, beginning to choke on my own blood.

"Why?" He sneered, crouching down to glare into my eyes. "Because I hate all of you. I'm going to enjoy watching you bleed to death, _human_."

I coughed, spitting blood out of my mouth. Although I was dying, something continued tugging on the back of my mind. I needed to remember something important. _Why are you worried about that right now, Levy? You're dying!_ I closed my eyes, wishing I could wake up from the nightmare I was in.

I gasped, opening my eyes. _That's it!_ "This isn't real," I said, aloud.

"You can tell yourself that all you want, girl, you're still going to die," Gajeel growled.

I sat up, ignoring the pain. "None of this is real. My parents died a long time ago. I'm just in a nightmare created by a demon."

"Yeah, me," he scoffed, pushing me back down.

"No." I shook my head, forcing myself to my feet. He stood up as well, glaring down at me. "You made a mistake when you created this nightmare, demon," I smiled. I could feel the demon's hold on me weakening as I pulled myself out of the nightmare.

"And what was that?" Gajeel frowned.

"You didn't have all of your information straight. See, I know that Gajeel would never hurt me, no matter what. He especially wouldn't kill me, because that would mean the end of his life as well. You never thought that we might be bonded, so that was your downfall, demon."

"NO!" Gajeel shouted, wrapping his hands around my throat. Even as he choked me, I didn't fight him. With a smile, I put my hands on his face.

"This is all a dream, so you can't really hurt me."

"AHHH!" I was pulled from my dream with a jolt, almost as if I had been thrown out of it.

"It's alright," Gajeel said, stroking my hair. I hadn't realized it, but both of his arms were around me, and I was shaking violently. I could feel my heart beating against my chest as I took deep, shaky breaths.

"It's dead," Lily said. I couldn't see anything because my face was pressed into Gajeel's chest, but I could hear the sound of Lily's sword as he put it away.

"You did a great job," Gajeel told me, still holding onto me tightly.

"Is Levy alright?" Lily asked.

I pulled away from Gajeel as my heart returned to a normal pace and my breathing slowed. "I'm alright," I nodded.

"What the hell happened in there?" Gajeel asked. His red eyes were bright with fear, and he looked pale. I had never seen him like that, and it caught me off guard.

"I'd rather not talk about it," I said, remembering the nightmare. I had had flashbacks of that night in the form of nightmares before, but never had they been so vivid. For that short time, I was my four-year-old self again, witnessing for a second time the murder of my parents.

"I don't know what you did, but you managed to beat it," Lily smiled, patting me on the leg as he returned to his smaller form.

"Thanks," I smiled back.

"I'd say that woke up the whole village, so we should probably go see that old woman," Gajeel said.

"Yeah." I allowed him to help me up, and I led us out of the hut. When he got outside, I came to a halt, gasping in horror. The villagers' bodies were strewn across the the land like leaves. Blood soaked the dirt below my feet, and the air smelled of death. "What? But how?" I gasped, horrified.

"You failed, Levy," Gajeel spat, pushing me onto the hard ground. As I turned to look at him, I saw him pull a bloody hand out of Lily's chest and throw him to the ground.

"Lily!" I cried. "Gajeel, what's going on?" I asked, looking up at him as tears made warm tracks down my cheeks. "What happened here?"

"I may not be able to kill _you_, but that doesn't stop me from hurting all of these other fools," he smirked, lifting me off the ground by my hair. "While you were wrapped up in fighting that nightmare demon, I took care of them."

"Why?" I asked.

"Did you honestly think I'd become a hunter for the council? Your dumber than I thought, then," he scoffed. "I only did that to buy some time. I hadn't anticipated your little move with getting us bonded, so that was a minor setback."

"You can't-" I whispered, refusing to believe it. _He was so kind to me before. I thought he was finally warming up to being a hunter again._

"I can," he smirked, bring our faces within inches of each other, "and I did. Next is that annoying organization you care so much about it. Since I can't hurt you, I'll destroy everything you love. That should teach you not to fuck with me again." He threw me to the ground before walking away, carelessly stepping on the bodies of the murdered villagers.

"Stop!" I shouted, chasing after him. He took off at a sprint, and it was all I could do to keep up with him. We ran for what felt like hours, and soon we reached Magnolia. _No! I have to stop him!_ I reached for my gun, but realized I had left it back in the village. "Damn it!" I cursed, urging my legs to move faster. Gajeel was still several yards in front of me, and I couldn't catch up to him.

"Iron Dragon Roar!" He shouted, blasting a hole through the side of headquarters. I heard guns being fired and several screams when he ran inside. By the time I reached the building, it was too late. I arrived just in time to see him throw Lucy's lifeless body to the ground where it joined the bodies of my other friends.

"Lucy!" I screamed, running towards her.

Gajeel wrapped his hand around my neck before I could reach her, and lifted me into the air. "Take a good look around you, _Shrimp_," he smirked, "because all of this is your fault."

"No," I whispered, tears once again soaking my cheeks.

"This all happened because you were too weak to save any of them."

"Shut up."

"Even when giving it your all, you still weren't able to save even one of your friends!" He laughed, dropping me onto the blood-soaked tiles. I felt cold, despite the hot blood staining my skin. _They're all dead._ "If you hadn't been so weak, maybe you could have saved them."

"I'm not weak," I said, trying to get to my feet. My legs, however, had a different plan. I couldn't get them to support me, no matter how many times I tried. Eventually, I gave up. _What does it matter, anyway? Even if I stand up, what can I do?_

"This is what happens when you're weak," he sneered, grabbing my hair and dragging me across the floor. He left the horror that used to be my organization's headquarters, and walked towards Magnolia. "I'm going to kill every last one of them while you watch," he told me, "just to show you how weak you are."

"Please, no," I begged. I couldn't take it anymore. I felt hollow on the inside, and I couldn't even cry. I wanted to die, but I knew he would never grant me that luxury. _Because if I were to die, he'd die too._ As he dropped me and charged towards the unknowing citizens of Magnolia, the answer suddenly hit me.

"Gajeel!" He stopped in his tracks, turning to face me. I picked up a stray shard of iron that was left behind from his spell, and pressed it against my neck. "You leave those people alone!" I commanded.

"You wouldn't do it," he smirked. His confidence faltered when I pressed the sharp metal into my skin slightly, wincing as blood ran down my chest from the wound.

"I have nothing left to live for, so I would and I will if you don't back down."

He was standing in front of me within the blink of an eye. He grabbed the iron from me, throwing it far out of my reach. "You would turn to suicide?" He snickered.

"If that's what it took to stop you."

"You can't stop me," he smiled, sadly. "You're too weak."

"Levy!" I suddenly heard Lucy's voice, causing me to gasp.

"Lu-chan?" I asked, looking back towards Fairy Tail. She was leaning against the broken wall of the headquarters building, staring at Gajeel and I with wide eyes as tears ran down her face.

"Levy, everyone-they're all," a sob cut her off. "It all happened so fast."

"Why are you still alive?" Gajeel growled, storming towards her. My fear motivated my legs to move, and I ran after him.

"Lu-chan, run!" I called to her. Again, I was too late. Gajeel's strong hand wrapped around her throat. I could only watch, frozen in fear, as she fought for air. _What can I do? If I don't do something now, Lu-chan is going to die!_ Spotting another shard of iron, I picked it up and stabbed myself in the leg without thinking. If I could at least hurt him, Lucy would be able to run away. Unfortunately, he was completely unaffected, even as I screamed in pain and fell to the ground.

_How was he not bothered by that?! He has to be in pain! The only possible way that wouldn't hurt him would be if he was invincible._ I gasped, suddenly feeling so foolish. He _was_ invincible. "Because he isn't real." I got to my feet again, and threw a piece of stone at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" He growled, throwing Lucy to the ground and turning on me.

"This is a nightmare," I said, "I'm still asleep."

"You're really going to tell yourself that?" He scoffed.

"Now I'm sure," I sighed, feeling relieved. I had been so consumed in my own fear and grief that I hadn't realized it, but I wasn't sensing anything from Gajeel. Through our bond, I should have felt his anger, or his satisfaction-_something_, but I felt nothing at all.

I shut my eyes, ignoring everything happening around me. "This is a dream," I said, "just a nightmare caused by a demon. My friends are alive and well in Magnolia, and Gajeel is sitting by my side back in the village, waiting for me to defeat this demon."

"What are you doing, girl?" Gajeel snarled, though it was no longer his voice. A fist met my face hard, and I fell to the ground.

Cupping my face, I continued. "I cannot be hurt because this is a dream. I have to wake up, and help Gajeel and Lily. I have to defeat this demon, because the villagers are depending on me."

"Shut up, you filthy human!" He shouted. "I will kill everyone you love! You will wish you were dead by the time I'm through with you!"

I opened my eyes, staring straight into Gajeel's slowly deforming face. "Get out of my head," I demanded. "I am not your toy!"

"-vy! Levy!" Gajeel's worried voice made me open my eyes.

"Gajeel?"I asked, unsure of whether or not I was still dreaming.

"Thank god," he sighed, crushing me to his chest. I could feel relief flooding into me through our bond, and I knew I had finally woken up.

"The demon is dead," Lily said, returning to his normal size and putting his sword away. He had a bruise on his chest, but looked fine otherwise. "The villagers are all outside celebrating our victory. I asked them to excuse us from the festivities until tomorrow."

"I'm impressed, Shrimp," Gajeel grinned, patting me on the head. "That thing was nearly dead when you kicked it out of your head."

"It nearly got me," I admitted. Involuntarily, I shivered, thinking about the nightmares the demon had given me. I took a deep breath, and winced slightly. "What the-?" I gasped, looking down to see my bruised chest. When I looked at Gajeel, a hand shot to my mouth as I stared at him. The bruises covering his chest were three times worse than mine. "What happened?" I asked, gently touching his bruised skin.

"Nothin'," he shrugged, exchanging a look with Lily.

"I did that, didn't I?" I asked, knowing immediately I had been correct. "Gajeel, I'm so sor-"

"This'll be gone by tomorrow," he said, waving me off. "You took care of that demon, and that's all that matters. I think we should all get some rest. It was a long night for all of us."

Lily was way ahead of us. He had already curled up on the mat beside mine and was sleeping soundly. I smiled, laying down on my own mat with Gajeel to my right. "You know, it was this bond that defeated that demon in the end," I told him.

"How so?" He frowned.

"It just did," I said, not wanting to tell him the part he played in my nightmares. Watching him fall asleep, I couldn't imagine him ever hurting me. My eyes fell on the bruises covering his chest, and my heart ached. It seemed I had been the one to hurt him in the end.

_He said he would heal, so I shouldn't be so worried about it. Hunters get hurt on assignments all the time!_ But the thought of Gajeel getting hurt made my chest ache in a way that it never had before.

Confused, I rolled over and closed my eyes. I had no idea why I should feel that way. It was just a bruise after all. "Good night, Gajeel," I whispered, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.


	12. 11: The Truth

**_~Gajeel~_**

"Thank God!" I exclaimed, falling onto the sidewalk from the train. After waking up and finally getting away from the villagers, we had been given a boat to get back to land, then hopped straight on a train back to Magnolia.

"How about something to eat to celebrate our victory?" Levy suggested, laughing at my sad condition.

"Yes, I'm hungry as well," Lily nodded.

"Fine," I sighed, pulling myself off the ground. "Where we goin'?"

"Marley's," she smiled.

"Don't you ever get tired of that place?"

"Of course not," she frowned, as if my question had been incredibly stupid. "I love Marley's food!"

"He'll be happy to see you doing well, after the state you left in last time," Lily chuckled.

She groaned quietly, her cheeks turning pink. "I need to apologize to him for that."

We walked in silence until we reached the small bar. Levy rushed inside excitedly, waving at the tough-looking man behind the bar. I took a seat next to her at the bar as she ordered. When Marley turned to me, his smile turned to a glare. Before I knew what had happened, he had grabbed the front of my shirt, and had pulled me nearly over the bar.

"Marley!" Levy exclaimed.

"Listen hear, punk," Marley growled, apparently unaware that the entire place had gone quiet, and everyone was staring at us, "you do anything-and I mean _anything_-to put Sunshine in danger, you'll have to deal with me. Got it? If it weren't for that damned bond, I'd beat your ugly mug in right here and now for pulling her into your mess."

I straightened my shirt when he sat me back down on the stool roughly and disappeared into the kitchen. "Crazy bastard," I frowned.

"Are you alright?" Levy asked, her eyes wide.

"Fine," I growled.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I told him that we were bonded, but I never expected him to do that."

"Don't worry about it," I said.

She bit her lip, looking away from me. I could tell she blamed herself, but it really wasn't something she should have gotten worked up over. I knew good and well that there would be a lot of people mad at me for letting Levy go through with it. _Even though I really didn't get a say in any of this. If anything, _she_ dragged _me_ into it!_

Levy, Lily, and I all turned around, hearing a sudden large crash. One of the table's chairs had been smashed against the wall. There were two rough-looking guys facing each other, both pissed about something or another.

"What'd you say?" I uglier of the two snarled.

"I said, your wife's a dirty who-" The other guy's fist to his nose cut him off mid insult. They went at it for a few minutes, before both of them collapsed to the ground, too beat up and drunk to continue.

I turned to Levy when she chuckled. "That's funny?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Those two are in here fighting all the time. They're best friends, but when they get drunk, they start fighting. They never really get hurt because they usually pass out beforehand. It's just kind of funny to watch them throwing sloppy punches and stumbling around," she said.

"Wouldn't have taken you for someone who enjoys bar brawls," I smirked. She continued surprising me.

"I never join them; they're simply kind of funny to watch. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of fighting."

"You don't like fighting, but you're a hunter?" I asked, shocked.

"I fight to protect those I care about, and that's it," she sighed. "Once I find _him_ I plan to retire, actually. If it hadn't been for that, I can't say I ever would have become a hunter. Like you told me back at the island, I'm too soft for my own good. I'd never make it as a big-time hunter."

"You're already a big-time hunter," I said, patting her on the head. I wasn't really sure what she was talking about, but I didn't want to press her for details-especially with the depressing vibes I was getting from her. "You've survived this long as a hunter, haven't you?"

"I guess," she shrugged.

"What would you like to do after you retire?" Lily asked, skillfully changing the subject.

"I think I'd like to settle down," she smiled. "I'm almost twenty-five and I've never even gotten close to getting married. I've had a few boyfriends, but it wasn't fair to put them through the stress of having a demon hunter girlfriend, so we always ended things after a short time. I'd love to get married and have kids. Live a quiet, normal life somewhere with them. Maybe near the ocean."

"Why can't you do that now?" I frowned, hating the look of longing in her eyes as she spoke. It made my chest tight and uncomfortable. "You're not contracted or anything, so why can't you just quit?"

"It's not that simple," she sighed.

"Sure it is," I said, "just tell old man Makarov that you're done."

"I have my reasons for becoming a hunter, so I can't quit just like that," she frowned.

"What are they, then?" I asked.

"Just drop it," she told me.

Frowning, I leaned my arm against the counter and propped my head on my hand. Marley brought our food and drinks before I could inquire any further. We ate in silence, the only conversation coming from the other customers around us.

"I'm heading to Fairy Tail," Levy said when she had finished eating. I watched her leave, still frowning.

"You should apologize," Lily said, munching on a kiwi.

"Me? What'd I do?"

"You obviously upset her. Her reasons for becoming a demon hunter must be very important to her, and something she wants to keep to herself. Encouraging her to quit before completing whatever it is she needs to do is the same thing as saying those goals aren't important."

"Ah, hell," I sighed, throwing some money onto the counter. "I'll meet you at Fairy Tail." I went after Levy, cursing my big mouth. _How was I supposed to know she'd take it like that?_ When I caught up to her, I grabbed her arm. "Listen, Shrimp, I didn't mean to offend ya, alright? I just don't get why you're so determined to stay a hunter when it seems like you don't really want to be."

"My parents," she said, never turning to face me.

"What about 'em?"

"They were killed by a demon." She finally turned to look at me, and I regretting having ever brought it up. Her eyes were filled with so much sadness that I didn't even need the bond to tell me what she was feeling. "I became a hunter to kill the monster that ripped them to pieces before my eyes. I was too helpless then to do anything to save them, so I promised them that I would get strong enough to protect the ones I love-and to avenge their deaths."

"Shit," I breathed, letting go of her arm. "Sorry, Shrimp."

"You didn't know, so don't worry about it," she mumbled.

"Listen," I sighed, scratching the back of my head, "I'm not so good at thinking about others when I talk. I'll try to work on that, since I'm stuck with this damned organization now."

She chuckled, smiling up at me. "I'll be sure to let you know when you're being an ass."

"Good to hear," I grinned as I patted her on the head, "gihi."

"Well, I'm going on ahead to let Master know we're back," she told him.

"I'll meet ya there after I drop off me and Lily's money at the house."

"Oh, yeah," she said, placing a hand over the bag of money she had slung over her shoulder with her travel bag. "I'll do the same. See you later."

"Yeah," I nodded, heading back to the bar to get Lily.

**_~Levy~_**

"LEVY!" Jet and Droy both assaulted me with a hug as soon as I entered headquarters. I laughed, hugging them back.

"Are you alright?" Droy asked.

"That guy didn't do anything perverted, did he?" Jet frowned.

"Calm down you two," I smiled, shaking my head at them. "I'm fine, and no. I can take care of myself, so you shouldn't worry about me."

"But you were with _him_," Jet said, his dislike for Gajeel still obvious.

"And Lily," I reminded him.

"If we would have known you'd need us, we wouldn't have left," Droy told me, looking regretful.

"Guys, really, it's not a big deal," I reassured them. "It was a one-time thing, anyways. Now, I've got to tell Master we're back, so I'll catch up to you in a minute."

I ran up the stairs leading to Master Makarov's office and knocked on his door. "Come in," he called. I went inside, smiling. "How did it go?" He asked.

"Just fine," I told him. "We defeated the demon last night, but decided to remain in the village until this morning. They insisted on us staying for a celebration, so that's why it took us so long to get back."

"I wasn't expecting you back until tomorrow, so I'm actually impressed with how smoothly that went. Nightmare demons are particularly difficult to defeat, that's why I wanted a group to go, and not just one hunter. Tell me," he said, looking at me curiously, "who faced the demon while sleeping?"

"I did, Master."

"I see," he said.

"What?" I asked. He looked like he were contemplating something.

"If you don't mind my intrusion, what did the demon show you?"

"It showed me the night my parents were killed," I said, quietly.

"That's all?"

"Yes," I lied. I could tell that he didn't believe me, but I wasn't ready to tell anyone about Gajeel's role in my nightmare. I wasn't ready to admit that, somewhere inside of me, I was still afraid of him.

"Alright, that will be all. Jet and Droy got a little banged up on their job, so I'm giving Shadow Gear the next three days off. If you want to pick a job off the board, that's fine, but I'll be giving the bigger assignments to the others for now."

"Thanks," I nodded, leaving his office.

"Oh, and Levy," Master said as I reached the door, "don't let your fears get the better of you. No matter what the demon showed you, remember that it was just a nightmare."

"Yeah."

I returned to my friends in the cafeteria, smiling when I spotted Lucy and Natsu. "Hey you two," I waved.

"Hey," Lucy smiled. "How did your job go?"

"Alright, I guess," I shrugged.

"What about metal head? Did he get you all into trouble?" Natsu snickered.

"What'd you say, numb nuts?" Gajeel growled. I hadn't realized he and Lily had arrived.

"I was just wondering how much trouble you got Levy into with your crappy attitude," Natsu smirked.

"No more than your tiny brain probably does your team," Gajeel smirked back.

"Are you callin' me stupid?" Natsu snapped.

"No, I'm callin' you an idiot," he answered, sarcastically.

Lucy and I gasped when Natsu launched himself at Gajeel, his fists on fire. Chuckling, Gajeel dodged him, giving him a hard punch to the face.

"Natsu," Lucy groaned, watching as the two of them went at it. Although insults and fists were flying, neither one of them looked really angry, nor did the punches ever hit their target. My eyes widened when pain suddenly erupted throughout my stomach. Natsu had kicked Gajeel to the ground, and had hit him in the same spot with a hard punch.

I doubled over, the air escaping my lungs.

"Levy!" Lucy gasped. Natsu and Gajeel both stopped mid-punch and rushed over to me. "You idiots!" She snapped, smacking them both on the head. "Levy feels what Gajeel feels, remember? So stop fighting!"

"Oh, crap," Natsu said, "sorry, Levy. You alright?"

"Don't worry about me," I chuckled, "I'm fine."

"Are you-"

"I'm sure," I told him. "I'm going to head home. It's been a long couple of days, and I'm exhausted."

"I'll walk ya," Gajeel said, following me.

"You don't have to," I sighed, making my way to Fairy Hills.

"I know that hurt more than you let on," he said.

"No it-"

"It knocked me to the ground, so don't give me that crap. And your chest is still bruised, so that probably didn't help."

"I only get a fraction of what you feel, so you don't have to worry. I chose this, so I'll live with the consequences. Speaking of which, how is _your_ chest? I'm really sorry about that."

"I'm usually covered in injuries, so it doesn't bother me," he shrugged. "I heal fast, so I'm not too worried about it."

"That's good, I guess," I said, giving him a small smile.

"Yeah. I'm just glad the old man is letting me go on jobs finally," he chuckled.

"I thought you had already been on a job," I said, remembering the night he had shown up at Marley's.

"I had, but I took that one before the old man could tell me I wasn't allowed. After that, I couldn't take any jobs," he shrugged.

"Well, this is me," I told him once we had reached the gates of Fairy Hills.

"Get some rest, Shrimp," was all he said before turning and walking back down the path.

I went inside and immediately ran myself a hot bubble bath. I took off my dress, and examined myself in the mirror. The bruise on my chest was already beginning to disappear, but a new bruise on my stomach was beginning to form. Ever since being bonded with Gajeel, my injuries had healed faster than normal, so I assumed the credit went to Gajeel's demon body.

"I'll have to do some more research. There's so much I still need to learn about this bond." I sank into the water and thought about how crazy my life had gotten in such a short time. Within two months, I had received the beating of a lifetime from the most powerful demon I had ever met, and then had found myself bonded to that same demon.

_Not to mention these weird feelings I keep getting in my chest._ I sighed. "Whatever they are, I'm sure it's nothing good. Maybe I need to put some space between us for a while."

**_~Gajeel~_**

I sat at a table with Lily in the cafeteria, sighing. After walking the Shrimp home, I had returned home myself and gone to bed. By the time I got to Fairy Tail the next day, Makarov said she and her team had left for a week-long assignment. It had been six days since then, so she would be returning the next day.

I had no idea why, but I had been anxious since I found out she had left. Lily and I had gone on four different jobs to keep my mind off of it, but it still bugged me. Every once in a while, a pain shot through my arm or back, and I had to stop myself from rushing to wherever it was she had gone.

"You can stop looking so depressed," Lily told me, "they'll be back tomorrow."

"Who's depressed? I don't know what you're talkin' about," I frowned.

"You've been sighing like that since Shadow Gear left last week."

"I ain't sighin'!" I snapped, defensively.

"You shouldn't get so defensive. I miss Levy, too."

"I don't miss the Shrimp," I growled. _Do I?_

**_~Levy~_**

"See you two tomorrow!" I waved as Jet, Droy, and I parted ways at the train station. Our train had arrived in Magnolia ahead of schedule. We were supposed to have arrived early the next day, but had gotten back to Magnolia around nine.

"Just in time for dinner," I mused to myself. I ran to Fairy Hills to drop off my supplies and take a quick shower before heading back into Magnolia.

"Hey, Sunshine," Marley grinned, handing me a beer. "It's been a while."

"I went on a week-long job with Jet and Droy, so I've been out of town," I explained.

"How'd it go?"

"Great," I smiled. "It was an easy sixty thousand Jewel."

"Good to hear," he chuckled. "How's that dragon slayer o' yours been?"

"Haven't seen him since I left," I shrugged.

"He let you go on your own? For a whole week?"

"He's not my boss, Marley," I frowned.

"I didn't mean he was," he told me, shaking his head. "I'm just surprised he let you out of his sight for that long, seeing as how you're bonded and all."

"Like I said, he's not my boss."

"You left without telling him didn't you?"

"Yes," I sighed, putting my head on the counter as he laughed.

"You'll get used to it soon, just give it time."

"Thanks," I smiled. As he returned to the kitchen to cook my food, I slipped a few hundred Jewel into his bag and climbed back over the bar. I doodled absently on a napkin while I waited, enjoying the quiet of the bar. Since it was the middle of the week, it wasn't as rowdy as usual, which was nice.

"What's that?" Marley asked, handing me a plate full of food. I looked down at the napkin, and realized I had drawn my mother. I had been thinking about both her and my father a lot since Gajeel, Lily, and I returned from our group assignment.

I turned the napkin towards him so he could see, and was startled when he smiled. "Lillian was always so beautiful."

"You knew my mother?" I gasped.

"Lillian was your mother?" He asked, looking just as shocked as I was. "So, Phillip was your father?"

"Yeah," I nodded.

He smiled. "Well, no wonder you chose to join such a troublesome organization as Fairy Tail."

"What do you mean?"

"Lillian and Phillip were both hunters for Fairy Tail before they retired. They used to stop in here sometimes. Now that I look at ya, you remind me a lot of both of 'em."

"My parents were in Fairy Tail?" I was shocked. Sure, I knew they had to have belonged to one of the organizations I knew, but I had never expected it to be mine. _So, does that mean, the night Master Makarov came to get me, it wasn't just a coincidence? Has he known all along who my parents were?_

"They were two of the best hunters in Fairy Tail. That old man even visited them right after they had you to congratulate them," Marley went on, confirming my suspicions.

"Sorry, Marley, I have to go," I said, running from the bar. It had begun raining, but I didn't slow down. _Master knew? And he never said anything! Why didn't he tell me that he knew my parents?!_

I burst through the doors of headquarters, not really sure what I was doing there. As late as it was, I wasn't even sure Master would still be at Fairy Tail. As soon as I came through the doors, though, I spotted him. Without thinking, I marched straight up to him, and slapped him. I heard several of the few remaining hunters in the cafeteria gasp in shock. I didn't blame them for being shocked. Hell, I was shocked at myself. Master was one of the ten most powerful hunters in the kingdom, so I had no idea what I was doing by hitting him.

"You knew all this time, didn't you?!" I shouted, not giving him time to recover-or myself time to back down. "The night you said you found me wandering the streets, that was all a lie, wasn't it? You knew exactly who I was, so that's why you came for me!"

"So, you found out," Master said, calmly, despite the red mark on his face the size of my hand.

"It's true then," I said, feeling utterly betrayed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What would it have changed?" He asked.

"Everything!" I fought back tears that threatened to spill over. "I could have asked you about them, and I wouldn't have run around for twenty years blindly trying to gather information! I-I could have found him already, and ended this!" _I could be living a normal life._

"You weren't ready-"

"Don't you dare tell me that I wasn't ready!" I snapped. "They were my parents! Don't you think I deserved to know the truth?"

"Knowing that your parents were members of Fairy Tail wouldn't have helped you find their killer."

"It might have," I told him.

"Levy!" He called as I turned and ran. I couldn't believe it. My entire life, the information had been so close, and the man I trusted like a father had been the one to keep it from me.

As my feet carried me through the rain, I cursed loudly in frustration. _I should have known! As much research as I've done, I should have known they were members of Fairy Tail!_ Having nowhere else to go, I ran to the one person who I thought could comfort me.

**_~Gajeel~_**

My eyes opened when a pain shot through my entire body. Lily had gone to bed an hour before me, so I didn't wake him as I threw on some pants and a shirt, and made my way to the living room. That pain hadn't been coming from me. For some reason, Levy was upset-_really_ upset. And she was close. I made it only two steps out the door before I saw her coming up the path towards my house.

"Shrimp?" I asked when she was within earshot. She didn't slow up as she came closer, and crashed into me at full force, sending us both to the soaked ground. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and buried her head in my shoulder, saying nothing. She was shaking, and her breaths were coming in small gasps, almost as if she were crying. I felt no tears, only the cold rain falling around us, so I knew she wasn't. I was still shocked at how upset she was.

"Are you alright?" I stood us up and stared down into her bright hazel eyes. They were filled with so much pain, and I could feel that same ache in her chest.

What happened next was the last thing I was expecting. Instead of answering, she grabbed the front of my shirt and gave it a good tug. Her lips met mine with a desperate need that I didn't know how to respond too. For a few seconds, I just stood there like an idiot, completely frozen. Once the shock wore off, however, I put my hands on her shoulders and pushed her away.

"What are you doing?" I asked, fighting the urge to just shut up and kiss her back. _What the hell is wrong with me?!_

"Kissing you," she said, simply.

"Why?"

She stepped closer, putting her hands on my face. "Because I want to," she said, pulling my face down to hers once again. This time when she kissed me, I didn't push her away. I had suddenly realized what was happening. _I'm dreaming._ Ever since we had been bonded, I had been having strange dreams about the Shrimp. This was just another one of those dreams.

I slammed the front door as we made our way inside, and pressed her against it, lifting her so I could reach her mouth with more ease. She responded by wrapping her legs around my waist and kissing me harder. I didn't hesitate when she tugged on my shirt, and eagerly threw it to the floor. I ran my hands along her thighs, pushing the material of her dress up as I did so. She helped me take it off of her, and it joined my shirt.

Not wanting to chance Lily waking up, I carried Levy to my bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind me. I groaned slightly as I laid her under me on the bed, feeling her smooth skin against my stomach. She kicked off her shoes as I did the same, and helped me out of my pants.

Heat shot throughout my body every time she touched me. Her hands made their way over the muscles of my abdomen and to my back. The little clothing we still had on was driving me crazy, so I ripped it all off. She was so beautiful that I actually paused to stare at her. I explored her porcelain skin with my hands, admiring every part of her.

When she kissed me again, I found myself pressing our bodies into the mattress, unable to hold back any longer. A whirlwind of sensations hit me all at once. This was unlike any of my other dreams. It felt so..._real._ I was floating in air and suffocating all at the same time. Her emotions were hitting me in waves of sensation that threatened to consume me completely, which had never happened in any of my other dreams.

It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. And I never wanted it to end.


	13. 12: New Determination

**_~Levy~_**

As my eyes slowly opened and took in my strange surroundings, what happened the night before suddenly hit me. I was laying in Gajeel's bed, in Gajeel's arms. Completely naked. Careful not to wake him, I climbed out of the bed and put on my clothes.

_Oh, God, what have I done?_ I thought to myself as I found my dress in the living room. I quickly put it on, though my entire body was uncharacteristically sore. I ran from the house without so much as a backward glance.

I went straight to my room in Fairy Hills and threw myself into the hot shower. I sat on the floor of the tub, letting the hot water wash over me. "What was I thinking?" I groaned, self-loathing wrapping more tightly around me with every passing second. "How could I do something so stupid?!" I had been so upset with Makarov that I hadn't been thinking clearly when I went to Gajeel seeking comfort. I had used him to forget about my own problems, and that wasn't fair.

"I need to apologize to him," I sighed, knowing things would be really awkward between the two of us from now on. "That's _if_ he ever speaks to me again." I felt like one of those awful women who used men whenever they felt like it, never taking their feelings into consideration. "I just keep doing selfish things."

Knowing I couldn't put it off forever, I turned off the water and wrapped a towel around myself. Trying not to look at myself in the mirror, I brushed my tangled curls and tied my bangs out of my face with a white headband.

I threw the towel on my bed when I reached my bedroom and went to my dresser. I put on a bra and underwear, then opened my closet. I wasn't really in the mood for my usual, cheerful, wardrobe, so I decided on a pair of black, knee-length shorts, and a white T-Shirt. After throwing on a pair of white sneakers, I left my dorm room.

I didn't go straight to Fairy Tail. I was secretly hoping to avoid Gajeel as much as possible. If I saw him, I would just remember what we had done, and then I would feel worse about myself. Sure, he hadn't denied me, but I was the one who showed up at his house in the middle of the night. I had never even been to his house before, but the bond led me straight to him. _Damn. I'm pathetic._

"I'll go see Marley," I sighed aloud. I needed to apologize to him for running out like I had after he had told me the truth about my parents.

"Hey, Sunshine," Marley greeted me, "I was worried about ya after ya ran off last night."

"Sorry about that," I said, taking a seat in front of him at the bar. "I needed to talk to Makarov."

"Did ya?"

"Not exactly," I sighed. I had been doing a lot of that.

"Tell me about it." He went to work cleaning glasses as I explained what I had done to Makarov.

"After that, I just ran off," I grumbled, propping my chin on the palm of my hand as I leaned on the bar.

"Well, at least ya didn't do anything too stupid," he chuckled. "Makarov will forgive ya."

"Yeah." I couldn't look at him. Thinking about what happened when I left Fairy Tail put me in a bad mood again. Honestly, sex with Gajeel had been fantastic. More than fantastic. But it was wrong.

_Gajeel is a demon. Not to mention the fact that we barely even know each other. Hell, I'm supposed to still be mad at him for nearly killing me!_ There were so many things saying what I did with Gajeel was a big no-no, but that hadn't stopped me. _I wasn't thinking about anything but myself._

To make matters worse, I had left before he woke up. _So, not only did I use Gajeel selfishly, but I also skipped out on him the next morning! _I groaned to myself, closing my eyes. _I'm the worst kind of person._

"Somethin' wrong, Sunshine?" Marley asked, frowning at me.

"No, nothing." I shook my head, trying to smile at him. "I just came to apologize for last night, so I should be going."

"Do ya want to stay for breakfast? I can cook ya up somethin' special."

"No thanks," I told him, "I'm not that hungry. See you."

"See ya."

I sighed _again_ as I left Marley's and made my way to Fairy Tail. I hoped Master was in his office, and that Gajeel had yet to arrive. Cowardly, I decided that I would just take another job to get away from the organization—and Gajeel—for a few days. _If Jet and Droy want to stay home for a while, I'll take something small and go alone._ We had just gotten back from a week-long job the night before, so they probably didn't want to leave again so soon. If I hadn't been running away from my problems, I wouldn't have, either.

"Hey Levy," Lucy smiled. She grabbed my arm and pulled me over to a table near the back of the cafeteria before I could respond. "I heard what happened last night."

My eyes widened momentarily before I realized she was talking about what happened with Master Makarov. "O-Oh."

"What happened to make you lose your cool like that?" Lucy asked. "Mira said you were screaming at Master, and that you slapped him."

"Yeah, I did," I grumbled. Thinking about it made me angry all over again. "He lied to me about something really important. I let my emotions get the better of me last night."

"What did he lie to you about?"

"My parents. They were members of Fairy Tail before they retired to have me. Master even visited them after I was born. All this time, I was under the impression that he had taken me as a child out of the goodness of his heart, but now I know it was because he felt an obligation to my parents," I said, bitterly.

"You don't really believe that," she smiled, taking my hands. "Yes, it was wrong of him to lie to you about something like that, but you know that Master loves you. He was probably trying to protect you-"

"From what, Lu-chan?" I frowned, pulling my hands from hers. "They were my parents. He should have told me. Who knows. Maybe I could have found and killed that demon already. I could have finally gotten over all of this and moved on with my life."

"You say that like you hate it here," Lucy sighed.

"Of course not," I said, not knowing how to put my feelings into words that anyone else would understand. "I just...I'm so tired of always getting so close to the truth, and then having it torn away from me. Finding out that Master knew my parents all along, and that he might have been able to give me information that would have helped me find that demon...well, it's a little upsetting. Why would he lie to me for twenty years about something like that?"

"Did you try asking him?" Lucy looked at me, smiling sadly. "Maybe there's more to it than you know."

"No, I didn't," I mumbled, looking away from her. "I didn't really give him time to explain, I guess."

With a small chuckle, she hugged me. "I'm sorry that you're upset, but try speaking with him again."

"Yeah, you're right," I nodded, returning her hug.

"Here's your chance. He just came down the stairs." She pulled away and pushed me in his direction.

"I didn't mean right now!" I said, fighting against her.

"Now's the best time," she told me, matter-of-factly. Once I was standing directly in from of Master, she walked away to give us some privacy.

Not knowing what to say, I just stood there with my arms crossed, looking around awkwardly. After several long moments, I took a deep breath. "Master, I'm sor—"

"Come with me," he said, cutting me off. I followed him silently up the stairs and to his office. After we were inside, he closed the door and walked over to his desk, taking a seat on top of it. I sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk, waiting for him to speak. When he didn't I tried again.

"Master, I—"

"Let me say something," he said, holding up his hand to silence me. "I can't begin to imagine how you must have felt when you discovered the truth about your parents, but know that I kept what I did from you for your own protection."

"I—"

"If you had known about their affiliation with Fairy Tail, I have no doubt that you would have already been able to track down the demon responsible for killing them that night twenty years ago. That's why I didn't tell you."

"What?" His answer surprised me. _He kept it from me so I _couldn't_ find that demon?_ "Why?"

"Levy, listen when I tell you this," he said, "if you had been able to find that demon, you would have already been dead. Your parents were incredibly skilled hunters, and look what happened to them."

"But they weren't ready for it," I snapped, standing. "I've been training my entire life for this. I can kill it!"

"You can't even kill a dragon slayer," he said, harshly. As I sank back into my seat, he sighed. "This demon is just as powerful—if not more so—than a dragon slayer. You know how powerful Natsu and the others are, and you have even been on the receiving end of that power. Do you honestly believe you could kill something that powerful alone?"

I shook my head, staring at the floor. "I'm not telling you this to hurt you," he said, "but I was only trying to protect you from yourself. I knew if you found out your emotions would get the better of you, and that you would have gone charging blindly after a demon that you couldn't defeat. I didn't want to be responsible for sending you to your death, so I hid the truth."

"So, you know which demon did it then," I said, quietly. If he knew how powerful it was, he had to have known which demon had done it.

"I have my suspicions, yes," he nodded. "There's only one demon I know of that can do that kind of damage to two skilled hunters in that short amount of time."

"Who is it?"

"Levy—"

"Master, tell me," I pleaded.

"His name is Astaroth." At Master's words, my blood turned to ice, and my muscles all seemed to freeze. I had heard that name before while studying the different species of demons. Astaroth belonged to the species of demons in the First Hierarchy. Meaning, he was one of the most powerful demons out there. So powerful, in fact, that he was known as the Prince of Hell.

"What did a demon like Astaroth want with my parents?" I asked.

"While hunters, they killed quite a few of his underlings. They also taught people how to fight his control, so he lost a lot of power in some parts of Fiore—even after your parents retired and stopped hunting demons."

"Why didn't he kill me that night?"

"I don't believe he knew you were there," Master frowned. "I've thought about this a lot. If he had known you were there, I'm sure he would have killed you first, just to use you as a way to hurt your parents. Because he let you live, I'm assuming he was unaware of your presence."

"That's a good point," I nodded.

"Do you see now why I kept the truth from you? If you had known about Astaroth, you would have done something stupid to draw him out in the open, and then he would have killed you."

"Yeah," I sighed.

"Promise me," Master began, meeting my eyes, "promise me that you will not try to fight him. Now that you know, move on from this. I understand your want for revenge, but it's impossible."

"But—"

"Besides, no one has seen Astaroth in over twenty years. It's likely you wouldn't be able to locate him."

"I'm sorry, Master, but I can't promise that," I admitted. "I still plan on facing him."

"Levy—"

"I refuse to sit idly by," I went on. "I promised my parents that night that I would avenge them, and that's what I plan to do. I'll just have to get stronger before then, that's all."

"Levy, you can't defeat him," Master sighed.

"At least I will have tried," I said, sadly. As he tried to talk me out of it once more, I turned and left his office. With new determination, I excused myself from the group of friends who had come to ask what Master had wanted, and I headed straight for the Magnolia town library. They had an extensive selection of demonology books because of Fairy Tail.

As the doors of headquarters closed behind me, and I started towards the library, I ran into a broad, muscular chest. "Hey Shrimp."

_Shit._ I had completely forgotten about Gajeel and my poor decisions from the night before. "Um, h-hey," I nodded, not meeting that searing red gaze that seemed to be looking straight into my soul. _It's just your guilty conscience._

"Where are you off to?"

I frowned up at him. It was an odd first question after what had gone on between us. "The library," I answered.

His face wrinkled in disgust. "Have fun with that." As he walked passed me, I turned to stare at him. He hadn't brought it up at all. Actually, he had acted like the whole thing had never happened.

"Gajeel," I called. When he turned around, I wanted to hit myself. "No, never mind," I said, rushing off in the direction of the library. _I'll deal with that later. I have more important things to worry about right now._

I requested a private study room reserved for hunters when I arrived, and immediately went to work. I grabbed every book I could find with even the slightest mention of Astaroth and carried them all back to the room with me. By the end of my third trip, I had over twenty books piled on the large work desk.

"I'll start with these," I said to myself. I took a seat and pulled out a pen and paper before opening up the first book.

After a while, a knock on the study room's door brought my attention out of the second book. "Gajeel?" I asked, not expecting to see him at the library.

"Mind if I join ya?" He asked.

"Why?" It was a reasonable question. He hadn't shown any interest in the library just a short time before.

"I, uh, had some stuff I wanted to look up. Since you were here, I figured I'd join ya."

"Oh, sure," I said. I began moving books to clear a space on the table for him while he disappeared to look for whatever books he needed for his own research. _Who knew Black Steel Gajeel did research,_ I thought, rather amused by the idea of him bent over a book.

**_~Gajeel~_**

I stared up at the ceiling as I laid in my bed. As soon as I had woken up, Levy's scent had bombarded me. I wasn't surprised. It had followed me around since we were bonded. It was stronger than usual, though, which I attributed to the dream I'd had the night before.

Trying to get the images from the dream out of my head, I went to the bathroom and took a cold shower. Cold wasn't the word for it; I didn't even turn on the hot water. I just stood under the icy downpour and sighed, wondering what the hell had come over me.

Ever since I had joined Fairy Tail—no, ever since I had met Levy—I had been acting so strangely. I had never been a nice person by anyone's definition, nor had I ever given a damn if anyone liked me. Yet, for some reason, I found myself going out of my way to please the small bluenette. _It can't be all because of our bond, so what the hell is it?_ Just growing more frustrated by thinking about it, I returned to my room and got dressed.

"You slept in," Lily commented as I made my way out to the kitchen.

"Nn," I mumbled, grabbing a slice of leftover pizza out of the refrigerator and stuffing it in my mouth. I was starving for some reason.

"Do you want to meet at Fairy Tail?" He asked.

"Nn," I nodded, stuffing another slice of pizza in my mouth.

"I'll be going then," he told me as he left.

After I finished my fourth slice of pizza, I threw myself onto the sofa, letting my face fall in the cushions. _That's strange_, I frowned, noticing one of my shirts lying on the floor by my front door, _how'd that get there?_ Shrugging, I forced myself up and out the door. I had promised Lily at least three days off after our marathon of jobs, so I had nothing better to do, anyways.

I spotted the Shrimp leaving Fairy Tail as I approached, but she had a determined look on her face and didn't seem to notice me. "Hey Shrimp," I said as she bumped into me, sending a wave of her scent up my nose. It was like sunshine and ink, and sent my head spinning uncomfortably.

"Um, h-hey," she nodded, not meeting my eyes for some reason.

"Where are you off to?"

She frowned up at me, though, I wasn't sure why. "The library," she answered.

My face wrinkled in disgust of its own free will at the mention of that horrible place. "Have fun with that," I told her, continuing towards headquarters.

"Gajeel," she suddenly called, causing me to turn around. "No, never mind," she said, rushing off in the direction of the library.

Frowning, I went inside, wondering why she had been acting so strangely.

"Gajeel, just the person I wanted to see," Makarov said, smiling at me.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

He motioned for me to follow him to his office. _This can't be anything good_, I thought, following him.

"I have a favor to ask of you," Makarov said as soon as the door had closed.

"What?"

"I want you to watch over Levy," he said.

"I have been," I growled, "ever since we were bonded."

"I mean _really_ watch over her," Makarov told me, "as in, stay by her side."

"Why should I do that? I can tell when she gets into trouble, so there's no need for me to—"

"Because if you sense the trouble after it comes, it will be too late to save her—and yourself," he said, grimly.

"What's goin' on, Makarov?" There was definitely something wrong. Knowing it had to do with the Shrimp, I wanted to know what it was.

"Has Levy told you about her reasoning behind becoming a hunter?" He asked.

"Her parents were killed by a demon when she was little," I answered. That was all that I knew, though.

"Right. When she was a child, I found her in the streets and took her in. At least, that was the story I told her. Until recently, it was also the story she believed. She now knows the truth, however, and I'm afraid she's going to get herself into trouble."

"The truth?"

"Levy's parents were once very skilled hunters. When they found out her mother, Lillian, was pregnant, they both retired and began living a quiet life outside of their organization. That organization was Fairy Tail. I had pretended not to know her parents, and asked the older hunters in Fairy Tail to do the same in order to protect her. Last night, though, she somehow found out I had been lying and confronted me about it." He sighed heavily. "It wasn't until today that I got the chance to explain why I lied to her."

"Why _did_ you lie to her? That's pretty important," I frowned.

"Levy's parents weren't killed by just any demon," he explained. "They were too skilled to let a petty demon kill them. I knew that if Levy knew which demon had done it, she would have gone after him immediately. And now that she knows, I'm still afraid of this. If Levy goes after that demon, she _will_ be killed. That's why I'm asking you to watch over her. Make sure she doesn't go after him."

"Who is it?"

"Astaroth."

My mouth fell open in shock, and a chill ran up my spine. "_The_ Astaroth?" That name struck fear into every living creature, especially demons, who were particularly susceptible to his control. If Levy went after him—I shivered, not wanting to think about it.

"Now you understand why she must be watched over. Keep her from seeking him out at all costs."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she stays away from that bastard," I nodded.

"Thank you."

I nodded once more, then left to find Levy. _That's why she was acting so weird earlier, and why she was in such a rush to get to the library._

"Can I help you?" An old woman asked, nervously, as I entered the library.

"I'm looking for a short bluenette," I said, irritated. _Why do people always have that reaction to me?_ "She's a hunter from Fairy Tail, and should have arrived not too long ago."

"Oh, you must mean Miss McGarden," she said, nodding in understanding as she got up from her desk. "She's in a study room. I'll take you to her."

_Of course they'd know Shrimp by name._ I smirked to myself, wondering how often she came to the hell-hole known as the library.

"Here it is," the librarian said, leaving me as I knocked on the door.

"Gajeel?" Levy asked, looking up from her book in surprise.

"Mind if I join ya?" I asked.

"Why?" She frowned, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I, uh, had some stuff I wanted to look up. Since you were here, I figured I'd join ya." _Great, dumbass. Now I actually have to pretend to be doing something._

"Oh, sure," she said. I excused myself to go look for a book while she cleared her mountain of books off a small section of the table.

"Might as well research the council," I grumbled unhappily. I grabbed a book with information on the new members of the council, and another on various demon hunting programs they had. I knew I wouldn't find anything, though. If they didn't want the public to know about something, they went to great lengths to keep it hidden. I knew that all too well.

When I came back to the room, Shrimp was lost in another book. I pretended to read as I watched her. The only time her attention ever left the book was to jot something down in her notebook. _If she's so determined to find Astaroth, how in the hell am I supposed to keep her from finding him? Other than keeping her from getting herself killed, what right do I have to stop her, anyway?_

One thing was certain, it would be hard to convince her to stay away from him. Looking at her determined face, I knew not even the devil himself would be able to stop Levy from finding Astaroth. _If anyone can find a way of defeating him, it'll be the Shrimp._


	14. 13: Preparing for War

**_~Levy~_**

I could feel Gajeel's gaze on me as I tried to focus, effectively pulling my concentration away from the book in front of me. I glanced up, meeting his red eyes, then returned to my book. After several more minutes of this, I sighed, looking up at him. He looked hurriedly down at his book, but it was too obvious he had been staring at me.

"You're not here to research, are you?" I asked. _He's probably here to ask about last night._ I dreaded having that conversation, but figured it would be best for both of us to just get it out of the way. _Then he can storm off angrily and I can return to my research._

"Not really," he admitted, closing the book. "I came because Master asked me to."

"He did?" Again, not the answer I was expecting.

"He told me about Astaroth."

"I see," I frowned. "Well, that isn't any of your business, so—"

"To hell it ain't," he said, returning my frown. "If you get yourself killed, I die too, remember?"

Actually, I hadn't thought of that. _If I go after Astaroth, and he kills me, Gajeel's life will end when mine does._ "I don't plan on dying."

"No one plans on dying," he scoffed, "but they do. Every day."

"I—"

"Just make me a promise," he said, leaning closer, "if you do find out where he is, don't go after him alone. Promise to come and get me first."

"Gajeel, I can't drag you into this."

"We're bonded," he smirked, "I've already been dragged into this."

"You're right. Fine, I'll come get you before I go after him."

"Promise?"

"Promise," I lied. I had no intentions of putting anyone's life in danger other than my own. _Gajeel does have a point about us being bonded. I'll just have to figure out a way to un-bond us, then._

"Good. Now that's all settled, I wanted to ask you somethin'," he said, seriously.

_Here it comes._ "What?"

"Have you been havin', uh, weird dreams, by any chance?" He asked, awkwardly. I could sense his embarrassment through our bond, and frowned. _Gajeel gets embarrassed?_

"What kind of weird dreams?"

"I don't know, anything," he sighed.

"No, not really," I shrugged. "Why?"

"Nothin'," he said, too quickly, "just curious. I was supposed to meet Lily at Fairy Tail a while ago, so I should get goin'. Remember your promise," he added as he was walking out the door.

"Weird dreams?" I continued frowning, wondering what he could mean. "Why would he be asking about—" I gasped, the answer becoming clear. "He thought what happened between us was just a dream."

I laughed incredulously. "I've been worrying about him taking it badly, and all this time, he just thought he was having a perverted dream about me." Although I was relieved, part of me was offended that he had thought _that_ had all been a dream. _At least now I can just play along. I have to focus on Astaroth right now, so Gajeel's obliviousness is perfect timing._

Deciding to extend my research, I left the room to search for books about bonding. _While I hunt for Astaroth I can also search for a way of undoing this bond between Gajeel and me. If I can figure out how to break it, there will be nothing stopping me from going after Astaroth._ The idea of breaking my bond with Gajeel caused a weird pain in my chest, but I ignored it. Not being bonded would be the best thing for the both of us. We were just holding each other back by worrying about causing the other pain.

I knew deep down that I would die if I challenged Astaroth, but I was prepared for that. What I _wasn't_ prepared for, was getting Gajeel killed, too. _I won't be able to go after him if it will mean Gajeel's death._ I hated that I felt so compelled to protect him. I shouldn't have cared, after what he did to me—but I did, and I couldn't let him die because of my decisions.

_Besides,_ I thought with a sigh as I returned to my study room, _Gajeel will probably be relieved to be free of something as burdensome as a bond with me. I'm sure he hates it._

"Levy!" I looked up from my books to see a very upset Happy flying towards me. He didn't seem to hear the librarian's demand for him to keep quiet, because he shouted my name again.

"I'm here," I said, running to him, "Happy, what's wrong?"

Tears filled his eyes, and he flew into my chest. "It's Jet and Droy," he cried.

My head cleared as fear and adrenaline filled my entire body. I tucked Happy under my arm and sprinted from the library, running as fast as my legs could carry me. _Please, be alright!_

**_~Gajeel~_**

"Well, that was awkward as hell," I growled. I had no idea what I was thinking when I had asked Shrimp about her dreams. _No, you damned pervert, _you're_ the only one having wet dreams. Shrimp's probably never even kissed a guy._ She seemed so..._innocent_. I almost felt guilty for asking her such a thing. I also felt a little let down that she hadn't been having dreams about me like I was her. _What the hell am I thinking? Why should I give a damn if Shrimp dreams about me?_

When I opened the door to enter headquarters, a blue Exceed bolted passed me. The cafeteria was eerily quiet as I went inside. "What the hell happened in the hour I was gone?" I asked.

"Just a few minutes ago, Elfman came running in, telling us someone had been attacked. He brought them here, knowing Wendy would be their best chance at recovering," Lily said, looking grim. "At first, there was too much blood to tell who it was, but after Wendy washed them off to clean their wounds..."

"Who was it?"

"Jet and Droy."

"Shit," I breathed, knowing there would soon be one upset bluenette barging into Fairy Tail. I knew the moment Happy had found her, because my chest constricted in fear. Within moments she burst through the doors, ignoring everyone else and running straight to the infirmary. I went after her, feeling some need to help.

"What do you mean I can't go in?" She was asking Makarov as I came up behind her.

"Their conditions are unstable right now, so we need to let Wendy be alone with them," he told her.

"Unstable?" She asked, breathless. "What the hell happened to them?"

"They were attacked," he said.

"Attacked?" She gasped, making for the infirmary doors. I grabbed her arm, shaking my head when she turned to glare at me. "Do you at least know who did it?"

By the way his eyes fell to the floor, avoiding Levy's, I could tell he knew. And I could feel through her fury that she also knew he knew. "Master," she said, her voice dark, "who was it? If you know, we need to be sending a team after them! We can't just sit here while whoever did this is still out there!"

"There will be no team sent out," Master said, finally meeting her eyes. "We're all going to stay where we are and wait for Wendy to stabilize them."

"Tell me." Her voice was more of a growl now, startling me. I had never thought her capable of such anger.

"Levy, it won't help anything—"

"Master, please," she begged, all of the anger dissipating from her voice. It sounded more desperate now.

"I'm sorry," he said, "but you need to return to the main hall and wait with the others."

"It was him, wasn't it," she whispered, her voice frighteningly calm. It took a minute for me to realize who she meant. _Astaroth._

"Levy—"

"Oh my God, it was." I held her more firmly when she slumped against me, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Gajeel, take her back into the cafeteria," Makarov told me.

I nodded. As I leaned down to lift her, she made a break for it, catching both Makarov and I off guard. She ran through the doors of the infirmary before we could stop her. I heard her inhale in shock, and felt her anguish as it rolled through our bond in painful waves.

Cursing, I went after her, feeling my own eyes widen when I saw her teammates. Both of them were in bad shape. Worse than bad. Hell, I would be surprised if they even survived. They were covered in bloody gashes that resembled claw marks, and their faces looked like they had taken a pretty bad beating. Although they had only been in the infirmary a few minutes, their beds were already stained red.

Wendy, obviously exhausted, looked up from Jet's bedside as she bent over him. "Levy," she said, sounding apologetic, "I'm sorry."

"Are they..." Levy stopped, looking down at her friends.

"No," Wendy told her, "but I've done all I can for them. I'm just not sure it's enough." Tears filled the girl's eyes as she looked at us.

"Can I be alone with them?" Levy asked, approaching their beds.

"Y-yeah," Wendy nodded, hurrying from the room. Master followed her, leaving me and Levy alone with them.

"Go," she said, knowing I was still there.

"I—"

"Go!" The tears filling her eyes as she turned to shout at me were what convinced me to do as she said. I shut the door behind me and leaned against the wall.

"I'm so sorry," Wendy cried.

"They could still make it, right?" I asked.

"Their odds aren't good," she sniffled, "but I suppose they might."

"Then they will," I said. "I bet Shrimp's in there giving them an earful right now. They wouldn't dare die and leave her alone, right?"

Wendy nodded, though tears continued to stream her face. Although I talked big, I was doubtful. I had never known anyone—not even a demon—that could survive those kinds of injuries. _So, that bastard Astaroth came out of hiding, huh? What the hell's he doin' in Magnolia?_ I knew the answer, but I refused to acknowledge it

He had come for Levy.

All of our attention focused on the small bluenette as she came out of the infirmary.

"Levy," Lucy began, stepping towards her.

She put up a hand to silence the blonde, giving her a small smile. "I'm alright. If you'll all excuse me, I have some things to finish at the library."

We all stood in shock as she walked away, acting as if nothing had happened. "Go after her," Lily said, looking up at me. My feet began moving before I could even respond.

**_~Levy~_**

I ran straight to the infirmary as soon as I reached Fairy Tail, but was cut off by Master Makarov. "You can't go in yet," he said, "I'm sorry."

"What do you mean I can't go in?" I asked, angrily. Jet and Droy were my teammates—and my best friends—why shouldn't I be allowed to see them?

"Their conditions are unstable right now, so we need to let Wendy be alone with them," he told me.

"Unstable?" I asked, breathless. I could feel my heart pound harder every second. "What the hell happened to them?"

"They were attacked," he said.

"Attacked?" I gasped, making for the infirmary doors. Someone grabbed my arm, stopping me. As I turned to glare at whoever it was, I saw Gajeel, shaking his head. "Do you at least know who did it?" I asked, turning back to Master.

By the way his eyes fell to the floor, avoiding mine, I knew he was hiding something from me. "Master," I said, voice dark with the growing fury inside me, "who was it? If you know, we need to be sending a team after them! We can't just sit here while whoever did this is still out there!"

"There will be no team sent out," Master said, finally meeting my eyes. "We're all going to stay where we are and wait for Wendy to stabilize them."

"Tell me," I demanded, hearing my anger turn my voice into a growl.

"Levy, it won't help anything—"

"Master, please," I begged, all of the anger dissipating from my voice. I needed to know. I had to do something to help them. _I can't lose Jet and Droy._

"I'm sorry," he said, "but you need to return to the main hall and wait with the others."

"It was him, wasn't it," I whispered. It all suddenly made sense. _It was Astaroth. He must have finally come for me after all these years. And he's going to continue taking people away from me._

"Levy—"

"Oh my God, it was." I slumped against Gajeel, unable to stand on my own as my head began spinning.

"Gajeel, take her back into the cafeteria," Makarov told him.

As he nodded and leaned down to pick me up, I felt myself run towards the infirmary doors. Once I burst through them, I wished I hadn't. I wished I had just done what Master had told me. I inhaled sharply, staring at my teammates. If I hadn't been told it was them, I would never have recognized either of them. Jet and Droy were both laying on beds that had begun to turn red, and neither one of them looked like they were breathing at all. They were covered in gashes that only large claws could have made, and someone had taken a lot of time beating on their faces.

I heard Gajeel and Master run in behind me, and Gajeel's gasp of shock. I knew he would feel the ocean of anguish that was beginning to drown me as I stared down at my friends.

Wendy, obviously exhausted, looked up from Jet's bedside as she bent over him, hearing us all come in. "Levy," she said, sounding apologetic as she met my eyes, "I'm sorry."

"Are they..." I stopped, unable to say it. Instead, I just looked at them, praying they weren't.

"No," Wendy told me, "but I've done all I can for them. I'm just not sure it's enough." Tears filled the girl's eyes as she looked at us.

"Can I be alone with them?" I asked, approaching their beds. I was relieved that they were alive, but wanted a moment alone with them in case they didn't have long left.

"Y-yeah," Wendy nodded, hurrying from the room. Master followed her, leaving Gajeel and I alone with them.

"Go," I said, knowing he was still there.

"I—"

"Go!" I shouted, turning on him. I couldn't stop the tears that filled my eyes as I stared at him, and silently thanked him when he left. _Get a grip, Levy. Now isn't the time to be crying!_

I sat on my knees between the two beds, and took one of their hands in each of mine. "Listen up, you two," I said, looking at them, "you're not allowed to die. Do you hear me? I need you guys, so you can't die." I paused a moment, fighting back tears. When I was sure they wouldn't spill, I stood. I gave them both a kiss on the cheek before heading back out to the main hall. "I _will_ find Astaroth. He'll pay for what he did to you," I vowed.

Everyone's attention fell on me as I exited the infirmary. Lucy was the first to approach me. "Levy," she began, stepping forward.

I put a hand up to silence her, trying to give her a reassuring smile. "I'm alright. If you'll all excuse me, I have some things to finish at the library." I could feel their shocked eyes following me as I left. _I can't be at Fairy Tail with everyone right now. If Astaroth really has come for me, he'll target anyone I'm around._

"Shrimp." Gajeel's hand was suddenly around my arm, pulling me gently to a stop. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I lied. I tried to smile at him, but could only bring myself to grin a little.

"You can't lie to me, remember? I can sense your emotions."

I pressed my mouth into a hard line, trying to keep myself from just burying my face in his chest and crying. "Of course I'm not okay," I told him, harshly. I pushed my sadness deep down, and let my anger towards Astaroth bubble to the surface. I knew it wasn't fair, but I didn't want Gajeel hurt next.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked.

"You can kill Astaroth," I said, my voice filled with bitterness.

"You aren't goin' to do anything stupid, are ya?" He asked, and I realized he was still holding onto my arm.

I jerked it out of his grasp, frowning. "I'm going to the library."

"Then I'm goin' too—"

"No," I said, immediately. "I want to be left alone."

"Shrimp—"

"Gajeel," I said, meeting those searing red eyes, "please. I want to be left alone."

He gave me a small nod before I ran to the library. I shut myself inside the study room and locked the door, collapsing into a chair.

While part of me wanted to cry and sit around absorbed in my own sadness, I quickly dismissed the idea. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I would focus on my anger, and use that to fuel me. The best thing to do would be to gather as much information on Astaroth as I possibly could. I no longer had to search for him, since he had apparently brought the fight to me, so I went about reading every book I had that so much as mentioned him.

I memorized what the books told me about his fighting style and patterns of attack, and the different abilities he had. I also engrained every one of his weaknesses into my mind, vowing to never forget a single one.

_I refuse to let anyone else get hurt! I swear, Astaroth, I _will_ kill you._

"This means war."


	15. 14: How to Break a Bond

**_~Gajeel~_**

It had been three days since Jet and Dory were attacked. They were still in a comatose-like state, and no one knew if they would ever wake up. For Levy's sake, everyone had agreed to give them at least a month before losing hope.

I sighed, thinking about the Shrimp. I had barely seen her since she ran off after seeing Jet and Droy. She came to the infirmary every morning and sat with her teammates for about an hour before disappearing to the library again. _I wonder if she's eating. She looked tired this morning when she got to headquarters._ I had been worrying about her non-stop since she had told me to leave her alone.

"Has Levy gone to the library again?" Lily asked, sitting beside me.

I nodded, never lifting my head from where I had it laying on the table.

"I think you should go see her," he told me.

To that, I lifted my head and frowned at him. "Why should _I_ go?"

"You're bonded to her, so you can understand better than anyone what she's feeling. For the last three days she has been burying herself in books to distract her mind from reality. Because the one who attacked Jet and Droy was Astaroth, I'm sure she's blaming herself for what happened to them. Although she won't admit it, she needs someone right now."

"What makes you think that someone is me?"

"She came to you the last time she was upset, didn't she?" Lily sighed.

"Last time?" I asked.

"After she found out the truth about her parents. I smelled that she had been there when I woke up that morning, but I never said anything because it wasn't any of my business what you two do. I'm not saying _that_ would be the best way to comfort her right now, but your presence would help her."

"What?" The longer he spoke, the more confused I became.

He frowned at me, obviously confused that I had no idea what he was talking about. "You don't remember that?"

"Stop beatin' around the bush," I snapped, "just tell me what the hell you're talkin' about."

"The night Levy found out Makarov had been hiding the truth about her parents," Lily sighed, "she came to you for comfort." He paused, giving me a knowing smirk, "you definitely comforted her."

My breath caught in my throat, and my lungs constricted to the point where I thought I might pass out. _That wasn't a dream? She really came over that night? We—_ I was out of my chair in a heartbeat, running in the direction of the library. _Why didn't she say anything?! And why in the hell was she already gone when I woke up the next day?_ I was furious. It had been four days, and she hadn't even brought it up.

I came to a halt just outside the library, suddenly nervous. _She probably thinks I'm an asshole for not bringing it up and just acting like nothing happened._ And then I thought about what _had_ happened, and I almost turned around and ran for it.

"Damn," I cursed. I had thought it was all a dream. _So I didn't hold back at all._ "No wonder she left before I woke up," I groaned, sitting on the ground beside the library entrance and putting my head in my hands.

I sat up and leaned my head against the cool stone wall, sighing. _I should have known that wasn't a dream. How in the hell could it have been? Everything felt so—_real. Every little touch had been an eruption of sensation unlike anything I had ever felt, so I should have known. _Had I known, what would I have done?_ That was the question. Honestly, I don't think I could have brought myself to do it. I would have been too afraid of hurting her—which I now knew I had.

Through all of the guilt and self-loathing I was feeling, some other emotion began to seep through. Was it, joy? Knowing that it really hadn't all been a dream caused something in my chest to buzz. I thought of all the things I had felt during our time together, and realized that the fact it wasn't a dream made me really, _really_ happy.

Just as soon as the happiness came, however, it was once again chased away by self-loathing. I had pretty much ravaged her. _Like a demon._ I groaned again, knowing she must hate me. _Maybe that's why she hadn't wanted anything to do with me. She thinks I'm some damned beast._

I shot to my feet when another thought came to my mind. _I thought it was a dream, so I didn't use—_ "Shit!" I ran inside without thinking, going straight to her study room.

"Gajeel?" She asked with a start as I came through the door. "What are you—hey!" She snapped when I grabbed her left arm and looked at her wrist.

_Nothing._ I let out a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing?" She asked, angrily, snatching her arm away.

My anger returned as she frowned at me, and I grabbed her wrist again. "We need to talk," I growled, dragging her from the library.

"Wait just a minute! Where are we going?" She asked, fighting against me.

I marched straight to my house, shutting and locking the door behind us.

"What are—ah!" I slammed her against the wall, clamping a hand on each of her arms to hold her in place as I glared into her wide hazel eyes.

"Why the _hell_ didn't you say anything?"

"About what?" She asked, trying to match my anger but failing miserably.

"You know damned well about what," I snarled.

"_You're_ the one who thought it was a dream," she snapped, throwing the blame at me.

"_You're_ the one who came to me!"

"You could have said no," she said.

"Yeah, well, I didn't."

"Because you thought it was just a dream." She sounded kind of hurt as she spoke, causing my self-loathing to swirl around.

"I know," I sighed, "but maybe I wouldn't have if you hadn't skipped out on me the next morning."

"What were you expecting? For us to wake up and eat waffles together?!" She shot at me.

"No," I said, "but anything would have been better than believing it was all a dream."

"It was better that way," she said, looking away from me.

"No it wasn't!" I snapped, unconsciously tightening my grip on her arms. I don't know why I was so pissed. Sure, it was crappy of her to ditch me and not say anything, but that wasn't what made me so mad. It was the fact that she hadn't _wanted_ to say anything. "Why the hell would it be better for me to believe it was a dream?!"

"Because I regretted it!" She shouted, meeting my eyes as hers shined brightly with tears.

My arms fell to my sides as I stared at her. "You...regretted it?"

"I barely know you," she said, wrapping her arms around herself, "and I wasn't thinking clearly that night. I was being selfish, and came to you as a way to distract myself. I was just using you." She whispered the last part, looking away from me again.

As much as I wanted to argue with her, I knew she was telling me the truth. I could feel how much she regretted it through our bond. So, doing the only thing I could think to do, I grabbed her arms, shoving her against the wall.

And I kissed her.

**_~Levy~_**

I just stood there, stunned, as Gajeel pressed his lips against mine. I had just told him I regretted ever having sex with him, so his immediate response was to _kiss_ me?! When my initial shock wore off, I tried to push him away. Unfortunately, he had a solid grip on both of my arms, and refused to budge as I struggled against him.

My head felt a little clouded when he stepped closer, pinning my body to the wall using his own. He finally let go of my arms. One of his hands gently cupped the back of my neck while he put the other around my waist to pull me even closer. There was something urgent in the way he was kissing me, _primal_ even. It felt good.

My eyes shot open when I realized I had been kissing him back. "No!" I shouted, balling my fist and punching him as hard as I could. We both cried out from the pain of my blow.

"What the hell?" He asked, holding his jaw.

I held my own jaw, breathing hard as I attempted to catch my breath. "You—you—" I punched him again, cursing when pain coursed throughout my face. He stumbled back, obviously not expecting me to hit him a second time.

"Would you stop that!" He growled.

Angrily, I tried to punch him again. He was anticipating it that time. I yelped when he grabbed my wrist, using it to pull me towards him. For the second time that afternoon, he kissed me. I swung my other hand at him, but he wrapped his strong arms around me, effectively pinning my arms to my sides as he crushed our bodies together..

His emotions were all flowing into me, causing my skin to come alive with electricity. I grabbed his shirt for support when I felt suddenly dizzy. _Why am I so dizzy?_ My legs gave out, and I was grateful Gajeel had his arms around me.

He quickly pulled away, holding onto me so I didn't fall. "Shrimp?" He asked. His voice sounded far away. Everything in the room seemed to be fading into blackness as all of my muscles went limp.

I awoke to the sound of worried voices. _Where am I?_ I opened my eyes and worked myself into an upright position, looking around. _When did I get to the infirmary?_

"I'm glad you're awake," Wendy smiled, standing beside my bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Light-headed. What happened?" I asked.

"You were dehydrated and over-exerted yourself," Master frowned, appearing on the other side of my bed. "You need to take better care of yourself."

I blushed when he mentioned over-exertion, wondering how much they knew. "Y-Yeah," I nodded.

"We'll leave you alone to rest," Wendy said.

"Could you send Gajeel in?" I asked as she was about to walk out the door. She gave me a quick nod before disappearing with Master. Gajeel entered the room a moment later, looking relieved when he saw that I was sitting up.

"You okay?" He asked.

"What did you tell Wendy?" I asked, not answering him.

"That you had been going nonstop at the library," he said. "Don't worry, I kept our little secret." He said it almost bitterly, which made me angry.

"Would—would you sit beside me?" I tried to hide all hints of anger as I patted the bed beside me.

He nodded, walking over to the bed. When he was within reach, I punched him. He stared at me, dumbfounded, as we both cursed and clutched our jaws. "Why do you keep doing that?!" He growled.

"_That_ was for pinning my arms down and forcing yourself on me, you asshole!" I snapped.

"I didn't force myself on you," he retorted.

I gaped at him. "You did it _twice_!"

"You kissed me back," he shrugged.

"And then I punched you," I said.

"You—"

"What made you think I wanted to kiss you?" I asked, trying to get him angry. I hadn't spent three days at the library doing nothing. After I had completed my research on Astaroth, I began researching bonds. I think I had found a way to break our bond, but I first had to make sure he would _want_ our bond broken.

"I—"

"I had just said I regretted ever going to you that night, so you _kissed_ me? What were you hoping for? That I'd realize it wasn't a mistake, and that maybe I'd like to do it again?" I hated myself for being so cruel, but it had to be done. _If he hates me, then this will be easier._ I thought of Astaroth as I yelled at Gajeel, focusing on that anger so he would think it was directed towards him.

"I don't know," he frowned.

"Follow me." I got out of the bed, leaving the infirmary. I didn't want to keep going inside of headquarters. If things got loud, I'm sure someone would interfere. Just as I knew he would, Gajeel followed me out the doors and into the forest near Magnolia.

"What are we doing out here?" He asked, when we finally came to a stop.

"I didn't want to have this conversation at Fairy Tail."

"You didn't want them to hear you talking about sleeping with me," he frowned.

"With a demon," I said. I put as much venom in my voice as I could, wishing there was any other way. "You're a demon, Gajeel, and I'm a demon hunter."

"You didn't care before," he grumbled.

"I wasn't thinking clearly!" I shouted, glaring at him. "Don't you get it? I was just using you to comfort myself! If there had been anyone else, don't you think I would have gone to them, instead?"

Hurt flashed across his face as he stared at me. I watched as it slowly turned to anger, and his eyes narrowed. "Is that so?" He asked.

"Of course it is," I snapped. "I bonded us to save your life, because what the council wanted to do was wrong. That doesn't mean I have any special feelings for you. I may have forgiven you for what you did, but I still hate you. All this time I've been researching Astaroth made me realize something." I took a deep breath, then met his eyes. "You're a lot alike."

His eyes widened, then narrowed to slits, gleaming with hatred. It was rolling through our bond like lava, so I knew it was time.

"If I had it my way, we wouldn't be bonded. I would have secretly broken the bound without the council's knowledge a long time ago if I could. Especially now that I can only think of Astaroth when I look at you."

Again, hurt crossed his features before it turned to pure hatred. He stepped towards me, radiating so much fury that I found myself actually stepping back. _Be brave, Levy. You have to break your bond so that Gajeel doesn't get hurt!_ "No one said I ever wanted this damned bond," he snarled. "_You_ were the one who brought this on yourself! If it were up to me, we never would have been bonded in the first place, and I'd be free of these damned feelings for you!"

"What?" I asked, completely forgetting about my objective as I stared at him, wide-eyed. He seemed just as shocked as I was. "You have _feelings_ for me?"

He cursed to himself, pacing in front of me. "Ever since we were bonded, I've felt strange. All I do is worry about you. Damn it, I can't even sleep without you showing up in my dreams!"

"W-What?"

He suddenly stopped pacing and stood directly in front of me. "I don't think what happened the other night was a mistake, and I don't believe that you regret it. I sure as hell don't. Ever since that day you were sent to recruit me to Fairy Tail, you're all I can think about. Why is that?"

I wanted to cry. I had been feeling the same way, but had never been willing to admit it to myself. _Oh my god. I'm in love with Gajeel. And I think he just admitted to loving me, too!_ I wanted to wrap my arms around him, and never let go, but I knew I couldn't. _No. I can't let myself get distracted! Until Astaroth has been defeated—or I die—I can't move on. _Honestly, I didn't think I'd ever be able to move on with Gajeel, anyways. In the council's eyes, he was still a demon.

So, using that, I pulled myself together and focused on what I had to do. I centered my anger, and channeled a disgust into my voice as I smirked at him. "So, what are you saying? That you _love_ me?"

His brows furrowed, contemplating what I had said. "Ye—"

I cut him off with a laugh, walking away from him. "Seriously? You think you love me?"

"I don't know," he growled, becoming frustrated.

"I'll tell you what _I _know," I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him as I came to a halt several feet away, "I know that you must have been lonely before Fairy Tail, to have convinced yourself that you were capable of love. Demons can't love. Even if they could, do you think I would feel the same way?"

"I—"

"You're pathetically trying to be something you're not," I said. I felt like throwing up, not knowing if the feeling was coming from me or him. "I could never even _like_ something like you, let alone anything else. I hate the fact that we're bonded, and that I have to feel what you feel."

His former fury returned with a vengeance. "If it could be undone, I'd gladly help you break it," he snarled, storming towards me.

_Now's my chance!_ Before he had taken three steps, I pulled my gun out, aimed, and shot him in the heart. He stared at me, shocked, as the bullet hit him and broke through the iron scales now covering his body. He fell to his knees, looking down at the small hole in chest, obviously wondering why he was still alive. As he looked up to ask, that's when it started.

I fell to the ground, screaming, as waves of pain consumed my entire being. The tattoo on my scapula seemed to be the source of the endless onslaught of pain, sending it through my body in blinding pulses. The book had said it would be painful, but I never imagined it would have been so excruciating.

From somewhere far away I could hear Gajeel crying out in pain, but my mind only had a second to worry about him before it was taken over once again by my own pain. _Please, let me die,_ I found myself thinking. It felt like I had been swimming in my ocean of pain for an eternity. I didn't think it would ever end. For a moment, I imagined the rest of my existence just being that pain, and I wanted more than anything for it all to end, for someone to come along and kill me.

And then, it stopped. With one final wave, it disappeared, leaving me breathless and weak. "G-Gajeel," I gasped, trying to lift my head to look around. I couldn't even manage that. I laid on my back, staring up at the pink and orange sky. _It's already evening. We must have been writhing around out here for at least three hours._ It had only been three hours. It felt more like months, _years_.

I closed my eyes, trying to sense Gajeel. When I felt nothing, tears stung my eyes. _It worked. We're not bonded anymore._ I felt so sad, thinking about never sharing anything with him again. To make matters worse, he would hate me. _At least he won't get hurt._

**_~Gajeel~_**

I stared up at the sky, catching my breath when the pain finally eased away. _What just happened? Shrimp shot me, and then she fell to the ground screaming. Next thing I knew, I was too._ Worriedly, I checked our bond to make sure she was alright. My eyes widened when I felt nothing. Absolutely _nothing_. Is she—? I tried sitting up, but couldn't move. I was too weak to even lift my damn head.

"G-Gajeel?" I heard her gasp. She sounded only a few feet away. Relief washed over me, but I quickly pushed it away. I didn't answer her, hoping my silence would cause her to suffer a little. After what she had said to me, I refused to let myself worry about her, or care about her at all.

After several minutes, I heard movement to my left. I could hear the Shrimp's unsteady breathing, and figured she was trying to stand up. I tried looking towards her, and was grateful when my body did as I asked. I sat up in order to look around, my eyes falling on her immediately.

Her porcelain skin was pale, and her eyes had lost their shine. She looked on the verge of passing out, and when she collapsed, I rushed to her without even thinking. "Shrimp," I said, looking down at her pale face, "stay still."

"You're alright," she smiled, lifting a weak hand to touch my face. "I'm so glad that worked."

"What?"

"I just broke our bond," she said.

"I didn't think that was possible," I frowned.

"I found an old book at the library, and it told me how. It was risky, and hard to pull off, but I had to try."

"Do you realize how stupid that was?" I snapped.

She chuckled, "I know. Sorry." Some of the color was beginning to return to her cheeks, but I didn't let go of her as he sat in my lap leaning against my chest.

A long time past with neither of us saying anything. Once the sun had fully set, Levy pushed herself out of my lap and stood. I stood as well, stretching my aching muscles.

"I meant what I said," she murmured, causing me to freeze.

"You what?"

"I meant what I said," she repeated, "about how I feel."

"I know you just said all of that to get the bond to break, right?" I frowned, turning her around so we were face to face.

"I only had to shoot you with a special bullet to break the bond," she said. "I said what I did so you could tell before the bond was broken that I had meant it."

I let go of her arm, feeling like I had been shot in the chest again. "But—"

"I need to go," she told me, walking away.

I stood there like an idiot for a long time, staring into the darkness where she had disappeared. _She meant it? So, she really isn't any different from the others._ A demon. That's all anyone saw when they looked at me. Sure, I hadn't given them a chance to see anything else, but I had thought Levy was different. The night we first met she had smiled so warmly at me, even when I had been hateful and cruel to her. And since I had joined Fairy Tail, she had shown me nothing but kindness.

I vaguely remembered the shitty confession I had made to her about my feelings right before she had laughed in my face and called me disgusting. For a moment, I had felt the same feelings inside of her. _So, why is she acting so cold towards me now?_ Her personality was the complete opposite of what I had grown accustomed to. To what I had— _No,_ I shook myself, _don't you dare think it. Even if she was lying about hating you, what she said was the truth. She's a demon hunter, and you're just a—_ "And I'm just a demon," I sighed. I sat on the ground, leaning my back against a tree as I put my head in my hands. "The great Black Steel Gajeel," I scoffed at my old title, "has fallen completely, _insanely_, in love with a little girl."

"Isn't that sweet," someone said, chuckling softly. I jumped to my feet, readying myself for a fight. When my eyes landed on him, my body went rigid.

"Astaroth."


	16. 15: Astaroth

**_~Levy~_**

_Well, that's the end of day two,_ I thought to myself as I turned off my light and made my way to my bedroom to go to bed. It had been two days since I had broken my bond with Gajeel. _And two days since I've seen him._

I wasn't surprised that he was avoiding me, considering all of the awful things I had said to him in the forest. I wanted to cry every time I thought about it, but I wouldn't let myself. _I don't deserve to cry. I did that to protect him, because _I_ put him in danger. I have to kill Astaroth, then I can apologize to him._ I doubted he would ever accept my apology, but I would give him one anyways. _If I survive long enough to give him one._

I had to face it, I'd probably die when I went up against Astaroth. He was known as the Prince of Hell for a reason—he was strong. Really strong. _And I'm not. Master was right. If I couldn't even defeat Gajeel, how could I ever hope to defeat Astaroth?_ Especially when he _controlled_ demons as strong as Gajeel.

I sighed. "How is it that everything goes back to Gajeel?" I knew the answer, but I continued pushing that thought to the back of my mind. I refused to think about it until I could. _I can't let myself love _anyone_ until Astaroth is dead._ But I did. I had loved Gajeel since that night in the woods when he had saved me. Maybe even before that.

"Fate really is cruel," I murmured, crawling into bed. I looked up with a frown when someone knocked on my door. _It's nearly three in the morning. Who would still be awake at this hour?_

I grabbed my gun and slowly went to the door. I cracked it just enough to see into the hallway. "Gajeel?!" I gasped. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him into my room. "Boys aren't supposed to be in here! How did you even get in?" I asked.

"Planning on shootin' me?" He smirked, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at the gun in my hands.

"No," I snapped, feeling my face grow hot, "well, yeah, if you had been an intruder."

"Get many of those in the girls' dorm, do ya?" He chuckled, causing the blush to deepen.

"No, but who the hell visits someone at three in the morning?" I returned my gun to my bedroom, willing my cheeks to return to a normal color as I made my way back to the living room. I was thankful my apartment was so dark, otherwise I'm sure he would have seen how red I was.

"Is that what time it is?" He frowned.

"Yes. Why did you come here? I figured you'd still be mad at me."

"That's actually why I came. We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," I said.

He grabbed my hand when I tried to open the door, pulling me close to him. "Yes, there is, because I think you lied to me."

"About what?" I asked, uncomfortably aware of how close our faces were.

"Hating me. For a second, right after I said I have feelings for you, your little act faltered. I could tell that you felt the same way."

"You're wrong—"

"Stop lying!" He snapped, placing his free hand on my shoulder. "You said those things to make me not want to be bonded to you anymore, right? That, and that bullet you shot me with, were how to get our bond to break."

"I told you, I only had to shoot you with that bullet. I said those things because I meant them."

"You're doing this to protect me from Astaroth," he sighed, sounding frustrated, "but you're not accomplishing anything. If he has been in Magnolia all this time, he already knows about us."

"What 'us'?" I asked, trying to be angry. The way he was looking at me, though, I couldn't bring myself to get mad. He looked so genuine and _caring_ as he stared into my hazel eyes with his red ones that I couldn't help but want to tell him the truth. _Levy, get it together. You can't be doing this right now!_

"You love me," he said, never looking away.

"No, I—"

"I love you, too," he grinned.

I couldn't respond. Hell, I was having trouble even _breathing_, let alone trying to speak. _Gajeel just said that he loves me._ When he began leaning in closer, I finally got my mind to clear. "No!" I shouted, pushing him away and backing up. "I appreciate your feelings, but I think you should go."

"Why are being like this?" Gajeel frowned, taking a step towards me.

"I don't share your feelings," I said. When I took a step back and hit the wall, a small panic crept into my chest, and my heart fluttered nervously.

"I think you do," he said, closing the distance between us. Gently, he cupped my face with both of his hands and met my eyes. "You're afraid of anyone getting hurt, so you're pushing everyone away, but I'm not going to let you. I'm going to stay right beside you, and help you take down that bastard. So don't you dare try to push me away again."

As hard as I fought them, I felt tears sting my eyes. God, I loved Gajeel so much. I wanted him to stay beside me, and I wanted to believe that we could be happy together. _But we can't._ The thought rang through my mind, and sent a blade straight through my heart. Gajeel and I couldn't be together.

"You should go," I finally whispered. I looked away from him, hating the hurt that crossed his face.

"I'm not goin' anywhere, Shrimp," he chuckled, sadly. "I couldn't even if I wanted to."

I looked back at Gajeel just in time for his lips to meet mine. He kissed me gently, as if he were waiting for me to pull away. I should have—I wanted to—but I didn't. I couldn't make myself push him away. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Again and again my mind shouted for me to stop, but I didn't listen. I was tired of fighting all of these feelings I had. I knew deep down that was why I had gone to Gajeel that night for comfort. I loved him, and I couldn't ignore it anymore.

Pushing everything else from my mind, I kissed Gajeel with everything I had. It was different from when we had been bonded, but I could still feel that same electricity running throughout my entire body. I felt my body suddenly fall onto something soft, and realized we had made our way into my bedroom, but I didn't care.

To hell with Astaroth or the council. I loved Gajeel, and I wanted to be with him. If I was going to die soon anyways, I shouldn't allow myself to get caught up in the future. So, I focused on the here and now. With Gajeel. With the man I loved.

I fell asleep that night in Gajeel's arms, to the sound of his quiet snoring. I felt happier than I ever had in my entire life. I was complete, and happy, and never wanted the moment to end.

Unfortunately, all things must come to an end, though. And the fates weren't yet through with their tormenting.

When I awoke the next morning, I was still in Gajeel's arms. As quietly as I could, I crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. My body was still all tingly from the night before, and there was a permanent smile plastered to my face. I quickly washed my body and hair before wrapping a towel around myself and returning to my bedroom.

I smiled, watching Gajeel as he slept. There was a small smile on his lips, and I couldn't help but giggle. Finally taking my eyes away from him, I went to my dresser and grabbed a dress to put on.

As I tied my bangs back with a yellow ribbon, I heard Gajeel stirring. I turned as he put on his boxers.

"Good morning," I said, brightly.

"Morning," he yawned, putting on his pants and shirt.

I suddenly realized that I never had actually confessed to him, and began to feel extremely awkward.

"What's with that face?" He asked, pulling me against him and wrapping his arms around me.

"Nothing," I smiled, "it's just that, I didn't get to tell you I love you yet."

He captured my mouth in a quick kiss, then pulled away to smirk at me. "So easily fooled."

"Wha—" The gunshot rang throughout my apartment with a deafening _BANG!_. I was too shocked at first to feel any pain, even as Gajeel let go of me and I crumpled to the floor. "Why?" I whispered, staring at him with wide eyes as I clutched at my side.

He threw my gun to the other side of the room, the smirk never leaving his face. "Astaroth sends his regards," was the only thing he said, before disappearing.

I was in too much pain to grasp the meaning of his words. The bullet had gone all the way through my left side, and I was bleeding heavily. _Shot by my own gun,_ I thought as I fell to my back, the world around me going black, _pathetic._

**_~Gajeel~_**

My head was throbbing when I opened my eyes. "Damn it," I cursed, sitting up to look around. "Where the hell am I?" I placed a hand to my temple, trying to will away the pain so I could think.

"You'll get used to the headaches."

My head snapped around, at the voice, and I snarled when I saw Astaroth. I lunged at him, knowing he had something to do with why I couldn't remember anything.

"So eager," he chuckled, flicking his hand as if he were warding off a fly. At the movement, my body came to a halt, and wouldn't move.

"How are you doing that?" I growled.

His red eyes were glowing as they met mine, "I am your master, Gajeel, so I control you."

"To hell you do," I spat.

He folded his scaled wings against his back as he stepped towards me, a smirk spreading across his face. "Kneel," he commanded.

"Fuck off." Although I said that, I felt myself going down on one knee. It was like I had no control over my body.

"You see?" He asked, looking smug as I glared at him. "When you promised to follow me, it didn't just mean you were loyal to me. It meant you were _mine_. To do with as I please."

My mind suddenly began to clear, and I remembered what he was talking about.

"Astaroth," I breathed. I looked behind me, worriedly, at the place Levy had disappeared, and prayed she didn't turn around and come back.

His red eyes were glowing so that, even in the dark, I could see them clearly. He folded a set of dragon-like wings against his back. Long claws extended from each of his fingertips, and a red snake wrapped around his arm like a decoration. I watched, frozen, as he came forward.

When he was within reach, my mind cleared enough to remember how much I loathed this creature. I swung my fist at him, knowing I couldn't miss in what little space there was between us.

With a smirk, he caught my fist, throwing me to the side with enough force that I crashed through a few trees. "Don't you want to hear what I have to say, Gajeel Redfox?"

"No, I don't," I said, getting to my feet. "Iron Dragon Roar!" He cut through my attack with a lazy stroke of his arm.

"I came to make a deal with you. Regarding the life of Levy McGarden."

I stopped in my tracks, the new roar catching in my throat. "What do you mean?"

"Join me," he smiled.

"I'd rather die," I snarled.

"Then who will protect Levy McGarden?" I didn't reply, admitting—angrily—that he had a point. "If you join me, I will leave this place. I will also spare the life of your Shrimp and that hunters' organization she cares so much for."

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to," he chuckled. "You just have to realize that this is your only hope of saving that girl's life, and take the risk."

"I'll just take you out before you can get to her, then," I snapped, charging at him. I turned my arm into a sword and swung at him. He dodged it easily, appearing behind me and kicking me to the ground. I fell with a curse, not having enough time to get to my feet before he kicked me a second time. Again, I was sent flying.

"Shit," I breathed, struggling to my feet.

"I will force her to watch as everyone she loves dies, making her wish she could join them," Astaroth said, grabbing me by the front of the shirt and slamming me into a tree, "and then—after she has begged me on her hands and knees—will I grant her wish of death. Perhaps I will end it quickly. Or maybe," he chuckled and leaned in closer when I struggled against his grasp, "maybe I'll kill her slowly, watching the agony that consumes her right before she finally dies."

Fear took root in my chest before I could fight against it. Just the idea of the Shrimp in pain sent fury racing through me, but it also made me afraid...because I knew he meant every word.

"Now, if you agree to follow me, I'll spare her." He released me, waiting quietly for my answer.

_There's no way I can beat him. He can deflect my attacks without even having to try, so I have no hope of defeating him alone._ With someone else, the task might have been possible, but not alone. Not when his attention was focused so acutely on me. "Fine," I found myself agreeing. _If it means saving the Shrimp, I have to do it._

The snake on his arm shot forward, sinking two fangs painfully into my neck. "Smart boy," he said, petting the snake when it returned to his arm.

"What the hell'd that thing do to me?" I asked, feeling strange.

"This little demon I picked up about three centuries ago," Astaroth said, continuing to pet the snake's head. "He has this amazing gift of taking control of anyone he bites. Since I am his master, those he bites are under my control. You, Black Steel Gajeel, are now under my control."

After that damned snake had bit me, I must have passed out, because I couldn't remember what happened after Astaroth explained.

"You must be wondering what you've been up to the last two days," Astaroth grinned, taking a seat in one of the chairs I just noticed was in the room. He moved his hand again, and I went to one and took a seat, cursing to myself as I did so.

"Wait a minute," I looked up at him, "two days? I've been knocked out that long?"

"You haven't been knocked out," he chuckled. "I have been controlling you. A little side effect of my control can be a case of amnesia from time to time. Since it was the first time, I can't say I'm surprised."

"What did you make me do?" I asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

"Until last night, I sent you on a trip to prepare one of my houses for my return. Once I finish my business here, you and I will go there while I decide where we will travel to next."

"I thought your business was already finished with here," I frowned. "You told me you were going to leave Magnolia—and Levy—alone."

"I lied, of course," he laughed. "I knew the only way to get you to follow me would be to lie, so I made you believe I'd let the girl live. Oh, no. I have great plans for Levy McGarden. I just needed to get rid of the only real threat to my plan. You."

"Damn you," I snarled, trying to get out of my chair.

"Aren't you interested to know what you were doing last night?" Astaroth asked, unfazed by my fury.

"I—"

"Look down at your shirt," he smiled, something dark flickering in his eyes, "and take a good, deep breath."

My eyes widened when I looked down and saw the red staining my shirt. My arms were also covered, so I lifted one to my nose and sniffed. I thought I was going to be sick as the smell of sunshine and ink filled my nose.

Astaroth laughed loudly, obviously amused by the look of total terror on my face. "Let me help you remember," he said.

Suddenly, images began playing in my mind like a film in fast-forward. I saw myself grabbing the gun off of the Shrimp's dresser as I kissed her, and I saw myself shoot her in the side with it. The look of disbelief and pain in her wide hazel eyes as she had stared up at me from the ground, I knew, would give me nightmares for the rest of my pathetic life. At that moment, I hoped it wasn't a long one.

When I snapped out of it, Astaroth was laughing again. "I sent you there and then turned you loose for a few hours, erasing your memory of me. Imagine how delighted I was to find the two of you sleeping soundly in each others' arms. I knew at that moment that this was going to be much more entertaining than I had hoped. The shooting was an improvisation on my part, but I think it was a brilliant one. Now your beloved Levy McGarden knows I have you, so she is sure to come after me soon. That is, if she lives."

I was out of my chair before he could stop me, and I punched him in the face. Once his surprise had worn off, his eyes narrowed in anger. He wrapped his hand around my throat and slammed me into the wall. "If you don't behave, I'll make her suffer even more before I kill her." He smirked evilly at me, "you had so much fun with her that maybe I'll try it, too."

"Don't you _dare_ touch her!"

"Maybe I'll mark her, and keep her as a pet," he taunted. "If you're a good little servant, I might even let you play with her."

Curses left me in a flurry as I tried to hit him again. My body would no longer listen to me, however, so the most I could do was scream insults at him. He just laughed, taking delight in my hatred.

"I take it you don't like that idea," he said, letting go of me. "Maybe you'd rather have her all to yourself."

"Fuck you."

"Come now, don't be so vulgar." He left me alone in the room, laughing, as I threw more insults at him. When he was finally gone, I was able to move my body again.

Unable to do anything else, I sat against the wall and put my head in my hands. I hated myself for thinking it, but some part of me hoped Levy died from the gunshot wound I had given her. _That would be better than anything this bastard has planned for her._ The mere _idea_ of him marking her set my body ablaze with hatred. I would kill her myself before I let that happen.

"Levy," I whispered, the image of her shocked face after I had shot her playing across my mind over and over again, "please, forgive me."


	17. 16: Broken Promises

**_~Levy~_**

"Levy! Levy, can you hear me?!"

"L-Lu-chan?" My voice sounded hoarse, and my entire body ached as I regained consciousness enough to respond.

"Thank God," she cried. "Master, she's awake!"

"Where am I?" I asked.

"The infirmary at Fairy Tail. Erza said she heard a gunshot come from your apartment, so she rushed there to see why you had been shooting your gun inside of Fairy Hills. When she got there, she found you unconscious, and bleeding heavily from a wound in your side." Tears ran down Lucy's face as she spoke. "You were so cold when she brought you to headquarters, and your pulse was so faint that we thought—" she cut of as a sob escaped her throat, "—we thought you were going to die."

"Sorry," I said, squeezing her hand, "I didn't mean to worry you."

"Levy," Master Makarov said, sounding relieved, "I'm so glad to see that you're finally awake. Do you remember who attacked you?"

Gajeel's image came into my mind painfully. "Astaroth." It wasn't really a lie. If he was controlling Gajeel, then it had been _him_ who had attacked me—not Gajeel.

"What?!" He and Lucy both gasped. "But, why did he let you live?" Master asked.

"He probably intended for me to die from that wound," I said, tenderly placing my hand over the bandages covering the hole in my side.

"He's made his move, then," Master frowned. "We should probably move you out of Magnolia for a while, for your own safety."

"What?" I asked, angrily. "I'm not going anywhere. With all do respect, Master, this is my fight—not yours, so I don't think you should get to make those kinds of decisions for me."

"I promised your parents that if anything should happen to them I'd take care of you," he sighed.

"My parents are dead," I said, flatly. "The man who killed them—the man I have been searching for all these years—has finally come after me. I'm not going anywhere. If he wants a fight, I'll give him one."

"Not with that injury, you aren't," Lucy frowned. "Astaroth can wait until you're healed." _But Gajeel can't. It's hard to tell what awful things he's been doing while under Astaroth's control!_ But I couldn't tell the others about Gajeel. If I did, I'd have to explain how I knew all of that, and then they'd know he was actually the one who shot me. _Now that everyone is finally starting to trust him, I can't just throw him under the bus._

"Wendy," I looked at the blue-haired girl.

"Yes?" She asked, coming closer to me.

"I'm sorry to ask, because I know how hard you've been working, but do you think you could heal me? Please. I can't lay in bed while Astaroth is so close." She must have saw the desperation in my eyes, because she nodded.

"Could everyone leave while I heal her?" She asked, looking at the others. They all nodded, allowing her to work alone. "I know it was Gajeel who shot you," Wendy said, quietly, as she began healing my side.

"He—"

"I can smell him on you," she chuckled, knowing I was about to make up some excuse. "Is that where he's been all this time?"

"Yeah," I sighed, cringing a little as pain shot through my side.

"That explains why you're even more eager to go after Astaroth," she nodded. "I know you'll be able to save him."

"I hope so," I smiled.

"There. All healed," she told me, wiping sweat from her forehead. I hugged her tightly, thanking her. As I got out of the bed and rushed for the door, she grabbed my arm. "Don't die, alright?" Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at me.

"I promise," I nodded. I ignored everyone as I sprinted outside. I had been asleep all day, because the sun had already disappeared under the horizon. The new moon made it difficult to see as I ran to Fairy Hills. Once there, I strapped a gun to my right thigh. I strapped another one to my left thigh just in case, and threw a bag over my shoulder with extra ammo and smoke bombs—and a small explosion lacrima as a last resort. If set off, it could take out an area as large as Fairy Tail's main headquarters.

I ran to Magnolia immediately before coming to a stop. I realized I had no idea where to begin looking. _If Gajeel and I were still bonded, I would know where he is._ And I would have known the moment Astaroth took control of him. I suddenly hated myself for breaking the bond, but knew it was the best thing for us in the end.

"So, you lived, did ya?" I heard Gajeel's low growl from directly behind me, and turned just in time for his iron club to smash into my face.

I jumped to my feet, freeing my gun and pointing it at him. "Gajeel, listen to me. Astaroth is controlling you, so you need to snap out of it! I don't want to hurt you. If you take me to him, I can free you."

"You?" He scoffed, walking slowly towards me. "Are you so sure about that?"

"Yes," I said, confidently.

He laughed, his arm turning back to normal. "Fine. If you're so eager to die, I'll take you to him. But don't blame me when you don't like what you see."

"What do you—"

He started walking before I could question him. I ran to catch up to him, and walked at his side. "I know you're in there," I told him, smiling, even as he glared down at me. "And I don't want you to blame yourself for anything."

He was quiet as he led me into the forest. I sighed, wanting so badly to just hug him, and tell him that I loved him. Once I defeated Astaroth I would, but not until then.

"Wait here," he commanded, leaving me alone in the pitch black of the forest. Within three steps he was out of view, so I strained my ears to listen for any movement.

"So kind of you to come to me, Miss McGarden." I heard a dark chuckle come from ahead, but I couldn't see. "My pet, would you be so kind as to give us some light?" Suddenly, a bright light came on from above us, and I realized I was standing in a small clearing. "That's better."

I looked towards the voice, frowning when I spotted him. Astaroth's skin was very pale, and looked almost blue. His piercing red eyes seemed to glow as he stared at me, smiling to reveal two sharp upper canines. He had two dragon-like wings extending from his back, and I noticed a red snake wrapped around his right arm, curling its tail around one of his clawed fingers. The power radiating off of him was terrifying.

"Ah, yes, you finally get to see me in my true form. Fascinating, aren't I?" He smirked.

"Finally?" I asked, tightening my grip on the gun in my hand. Slowly, his appearance began to shift, and I realized he was taking on a human form. It wasn't surprising that he had a human form—I knew demons much weaker than him that could—but I hadn't been expecting _what_ form he took.

"No," I whispered, staring forward in disbelief. _I'm dreaming. This is all just another nightmare. It can't be real._

"Hey, Sunshine."

"Marley." The gun in my hand suddenly seemed so foreign, and the weight of it pulled against my fingers until I finally dropped it to the ground.

"What, not even going to greet your favorite bartender?" He chuckled, looking at me with a smug smile.

"No," I repeated. I felt so weak. My legs gave out, and I fell to my knees as tears made warm tracks down my cheeks. _Mom, dad, I'm so sorry._ I felt as though I were watching their murder all over again. All this time, Astaroth had taken the form of the closest thing I had to a father, and I hadn't even realized it. I knew I would never be able to kill him in that form, and Astaroth knew it to. As he stalked towards me, his fingers lengthening into lethal claws, I could only sit there.

_I'm going to die._ I couldn't bring myself to move as he closed the distance between us. When he brought his arm crashing down, the only thing I could do was close my eyes. His claws caught my side, and the sickening sound of flesh tearing broke the silence around us. I was thrown several feet across the clearing, and struggled to my hands and knees. Blood pooled from the three deep gashes in my side. If I hadn't been still in shock, I might have laughed, thinking how angry Wendy would be that she had just healed the same spot.

"This won't be any fun if you don't fight me, _Sunshine_," he bit out the word, mocking my grief.

I looked up at him, tears still streaming my face. "Why are you doing this?" I asked, clutching my bleeding side.

"Why?" He laughed. "Because your pain brings me joy, Levy McGarden. Your parents took a lot from me, so I just returned the favor by tearing them to bits. Had I known you were there that night, I would have done the same to you. Imagine my surprise when I found out those filthy demon hunters had a daughter—one who had also become a hunter. I tracked you down when you were still only a teenager. It wouldn't have been any fun to kill someone so weak, so I waited. I bid my time while I watched you become stronger. And then _he_ came into the picture." With a flick of his hand, Gajeel entered the clearing, standing just behind him.

"I saw you begin to change, and realized that you had fallen in love with him. After I began watching him, I realized he felt the same way. I let you get away with your little slip-up of getting bonded, but I refused to allow you two to get too comfortable. Imagine how trilled I was when I found you two in the forest, breaking your bond. I had planned to torture Gajeel Redfox while you were bonded, but once you had destroyed that plan, I decided to use him in a more fun way.

"The fool eagerly pledged his loyalty to me when I promised to spare your life, so he is now my puppet to do with as I please. That little display of affection last night I hadn't planned, so you can thank him for that. The gunshot, however, was a genius improvisation on my part, don't you think? Although, I was hoping it would have wounded you a little more than it did." When he stopped talking, he smiled at me.

"Let Gajeel go," I wheezed, getting to my feet. I stared down at the ground, unable to look into the face of one of my dearest friends.

"But I'm having too much fun with him," Astaroth sighed. "For example." Astaroth pointed a finger at me, and Gajeel lunged forward.

"Iron Dragon Roar!" I threw myself out of the way, barely dodging his attack. A piece of iron still got me, though, and I winced as I ripped it out of my arm.

With a frustrated sigh, Astaroth returned to his normal appearance. He was suddenly standing in front of me, and wrapped his hand around my throat. "You're disappointing me, Levy," he frowned. "I want to watch you fight him. Kill him, or be killed."

"No," I whispered.

"No?" He raised an eyebrow, smirking in amusement. With the slightest of movements, I was thrown to the other side of the clearing. My back met with a tree, and I felt myself crash through it. I cried out when Astaroth stood over me, stepping on my wounded side.

"That's more like it," he smiled. "Let's hear more of that." He bent down, digging his clawed hand into my already bleeding skin.

"AHH!" The scream ripped itself from my throat before I could stop it, and fresh tears fell from my eyes. He pulled his hand away, and I watched as he licked my blood from his claws.

"Gajeel," I breathed, praying he would hear me, "I could use some help."

Astaroth laughed, kicking me back into the clearing. "You're asking for help now? If you want him so badly, I'll give him to you."

Gajeel ran towards me, his arm turning into a sword. I rolled out of the way as he swung it down, intending to slice me in half. _I have to break Astaroth's control!_ I thought hard, trying to remember what the books I had read about him said. In order to break his control I had to—to—I gasped, looking towards Astaroth after I dodged another of Gajeel's attacks.

I pulled my spare gun out, and aimed it over Gajeel's shoulder. I knew by the way Astaroth was smirking that he thought I was going to shoot Gajeel. When I pulled the trigger, and the bullet whizzed passed Gajeel's head, I saw shock cross Astaroth's face.

Just as Gajeel's sword swung down to cut into me, the bullet planted itself in the snake's head that was wrapped around his arm. Gajeel cried out as the snake turned to dust, and he fell to the ground. Astaroth made some sort of angry screech, and threw himself at me before I could check on Gajeel. I fired my gun four times, but the bullets didn't have any effect on him. One of his hands wrapped around my throat, and the other plunged deep into my abdomen.

I screamed, dropping my gun. "Now I am angry, you little bitch!" He snarled, twisting his hand while it was still inside of my gut. I screamed again, and blood poured out of my mouth.

"I am going to kill you very slowly, you hear me? And then, when I'm done with you, I will rip your boyfriend apart. Maybe I'll take your form while I do it."

"You—"

"Next, I'll go to that pathetic organization. I think I'll start with the blonde. First, I'll rip out her stomach, letting the last thing she ever sees be me snuffing out the life of that abomination she's carrying."

"P-Please," I begged, struggling to breathe.

"Groveling is how you humans _should_ behave in the presence of a demon," he smirked. "Unfortunately, you have gone too far for me to forgive you, Levy McGarden." He dropped me to the ground and walked towards Gajeel.

"No!" I screamed when he picked Gajeel up by the hair.

"Watch carefully," Astaroth said, placing his clawed hand directly above Gajeel's heart, "because this is your fault."

Everything after that happened almost in slow motion. Astaroth pulled his arm back, and I shot forward. Right before his hand met Gajeel's chest, I threw myself between them. I took the full impact of the blow. Once again, Astaroth's arm plunged into my gut, but this time it didn't stop until he had impaled me completely.

Biting back the pain, I ran forward, pushing him back—away from Gajeel. Once we reached the trees, I reached into my bag and grabbed the explosion lacrima. With my free hand, I grabbed onto his arm firmly, making sure he didn't throw me off of him. And then I activated the lacrima.

I closed my eyes as the small crystal began to crack. Within seconds, I heard the loud boom as it detonated. The last thought on my mind as I was thrown into the abyss was of a small smirk, and Gajeel's red eyes.

**_~Gajeel~_**

I heard a loud boom, and began to slowly regain consciousness. My eyes snapped open when I remembered what had been happening before I passed out. I was being controlled by that Astaroth bastard, and he was making me fight Levy. After that, she shot at me, but it went over my shoulder. Something must have happened afterward to break Astaroth's control over me, because I felt a sharp pain in my head, and I passed out.

"Levy!" I gasped, jumping to my feet. My eyes fell upon a charred section of the forest. Trees were smoldering, and the grass was black and dead. At the center of the explosion, I saw Astaroth. I charged at him, planning to beat the shit out of him. When I got close enough, I saw that he was disappearing.

"No," he growled, looking shocked. "That little girl—but how?" I watched as he turned to dust, and felt relieved that he was finally dead. That's when my eyes fell to the ground underneath where Astaroth had been laying.

I hesitantly knelt down, rolling the blue-haired hunter onto her back. There was a large hole in her abdomen, and the skin covering pretty much every part of her body was ripped and oozing blood. I wrinkled my nose against the smell of burning hair and flesh as I pulled her into my arms. She didn't even twitch as I touched her, which sent ice cold fear shooting through my veins.

She should have been in a lot of pain. Even unconscious she should have cringed or _something._ But there was no reaction at all. I watched her chest for several seconds, finally placing my ear over her heart when her chest didn't move. "Come on," I pleaded, listening as hard as I could. Still, there was nothing. As I pulled my head away, I heard a faint _ba-dump_, and returned my ear to her heart. It was too quiet, and a lot slower than it should have been, but I could hear it. "Don't give up, Shrimp!"

I tried to stand with her, but my legs gave out, and we were sent crashing to the ground. All of my energy was gone. "Damn it!" I shouted, trying to will my muscles to move.

"Gajeel!" I heard Lily's voice, and relief flooded me.

"Lily! Take Levy to Fairy Tail!" I said, releasing my hold on her as Lily slowly cradled her in his arms.

"Astaroth?" He asked.

"Dead," I grinned. "Shrimp took down the bastard." He nodded before running into the darkness of the forest. _Hurry, Lily._

"Metal head, you're pretty banged up!" Natsu chuckled, coming not long after Lily disappeared. He threw one of my arms over his shoulder, then hooked an arm around me as he pulled me to my feet.

"Shut up, Salamander," I growled. I had to lean most of my weight on him, and he had to practically drag me along as he started towards Fairy Tail.

"Levy's gonna be alright," he reassured me, picking up on how worried I was about the Shrimp.

"Yeah," I nodded. "How'd you even know where we were?"

"The explosion. Everyone in Magnolia heard it."

I grunted, unable to give anymore of an answer for fear of throwing up. Levy had taken the full impact of that explosion lacrima _No one survives that._

"Whoa there," Natsu said, adjusting me against him as I began to sink. "Hey, stripper, I could use your help!" I hadn't realized it, but we were already in Magnolia. A large group of hunters were waiting for us, coming—I assumed—after Lily arrived at Fairy Tail with Levy.

"I'll ignore that, for now," Gray snapped, going to my other side. As soon as my arm went around his shoulder, my body went totally limp. "Damn, he's heavy," Gray growled.

I was going to tell him to shut up, but I felt too dizzy to speak. I cursed when my vision blurred, and everything started to go black.

"Gajeel." Lily's voice brought me out of my dreamless sleep.

"Shit," I cursed, feeling like I had been hit in the head with a train.

"It's about time," Lily chuckled. "You've been sleeping for two days."

"What?!" I sat straight up, looking around. I was in the infirmary, which meant— "Where's Shrimp?"

Lily's mouth fell down in a sad frown, and he looked away from me. "Lily," I said, "where's Shrimp?"

"Over there," he said, motioning to a bed beside the only window in the infirmary. I jumped out of my bed and rushed to her.

I stared down at her sleeping face, noticing how her entire body was wrapped in bandages. Her hair was stiff and broken from where it had gotten burned in the explosion. I let out a long breath when I saw her chest moving up and down. Though they were shallow—and sounded painful—they were breaths. She was breathing. Which meant she was alive.

"Gajeel," Wendy said, brightly, coming into the infirmary, "how are you feeling?"

"Fine," I lied, "how's she doing?"

Wendy sighed, going to the opposite side of the bed and looking down at Levy sadly. "Not good. She stopped breathing yesterday, so Lily had to perform CPR while I healed her lungs a little more. I've had her monitored round the clock since she arrived. We've all been taking shifts, and I've been sleeping in one of the infirmary beds just in case something happens to her."

"Thank you," I said. I grabbed Levy's small hand in mine, squeezing it.

"Gajeel, I need to tell you something," Wendy sighed. Her tone sent that same icy fear straight to my chest, and I could feel my lungs constricting as I looked up at her. "Levy—Levy might not wake up. Ever."

"What?" I could feel all the air leave my lungs, and I collapsed onto the bed beside the Shrimp's.

"Because of all the trauma to her body—not to mention her mind—there is a possibility that she won't ever wake up."

"Why can't you just heal her?" I asked.

"I can heal her body," Wendy explained, "but my powers can't heal her mind. I don't know what happened out there with Astaroth, but whatever it was hurt her. I'm not sure she'll ever be able to recover from that."

I felt my entire world begin to crumble down around me. _Shrimp might not wake up? _I looked down at her, imagining never getting to see her smile again, or the way she pouted her bottom lip when I called her "Shrimp".

"I'm so sorry," Wendy said, tears running down her face. "I wish there was more I could do."

"No, you did your best," I said, feeling numb. "Just keep healing her. She'll get better. I know she will."

"Gajeel," I heard her say as she wiped her face. I hated the pity that was in her voice. I stayed by Levy's side as Wendy healed her, remaining silent. Once she had done all she could for that day, she went off to rest and regain her energy.

It wasn't until Lucy came into the infirmary with a plate of food that I realized it was already evening. "You should eat something," she told me. I watched as she poured spoonfuls of soup into Levy's mouth, tears in her eyes the entire time.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

She looked up at me, startled, before her hand shot to her stomach. "Alright, I guess. It's been a long week. I'll just be glad when Levy, Jet, and Droy are all awake and this is over with."

"They're still asleep, huh?"

"Yeah." She went back to feeding Levy, looking on the verge of tears again.

"If it's too hard, I can do that," I told her.

"This is the only thing I can do right now for her, so I want to," Lucy said, shaking her head.

I ate as we sat in silence. Once Lucy had fed Levy half a bowl of soup, and I had finished my food, she took the dishes and left me alone.

I grabbed Levy's hand again, propping my head on my elbows at the side of her bed, and pressing her hand to my forehead. "Don't you dare leave me, Shrimp. Come back to me."


	18. 17: Never Give Up

_Three months_, I thought as my eyes opened. Levy had been in a coma for three months.

About a week after I had woken up, Jet and Droy had both recovered. They had been a mess the first two weeks, but, like everyone else in the organization, they had slowly given up hope of her ever waking up.

I sat with her every day, refusing to leave her side until I was kicked out by Master Makarov at night. The entire first month I slept in the infirmary, but Makarov had put a stop to that, saying it wouldn't help her any.

I had even stopped taking jobs so I could be with her. Two months after she had gone into a coma, I went on a two-day job with Lily. When I returned, her condition had worsened greatly, so I vowed never to leave her side again.

I ignored the pitying looks from my fellow hunters as I made my way to the infirmary. This morning, Lucy was sitting beside Levy's bed, feeding her some kind of porridge. "Morning," I said, sitting beside her.

"Good morning," she greeted me. We were pretty much the only two who hadn't given up hope.

She handed the bowl over to me as I sat down, and put her hands over her stomach. It was already swelled considerably, even though she was only about four months along. It made sense, I guessed, since she was having Salamander's baby. Demons developed a lot faster in the womb than humans did, and since dragon slayers were half demon, I supposed that meant Salamander's kid would get here sooner than they had planned.

"Did Porlyusica say how many weeks you had left?" I asked.

"About ten, she thinks," Lucy said as she smiled at me. "We're just taking this week by week for now."

I grunted, nodding. The pink-haired old woman had come to look at Levy after Wendy had done all she could do for her. Not even she could help her. That was the point when most of the others had lost all hope. If Porlyusica had said she wouldn't wake up, then they believed she really wouldn't.

I knew she was wrong. _Levy _will_ wake up. Once she's ready, she'll come back._

"I'm going to join the others in the cafeteria," Lucy told me, getting out of her chair. "You should come, too. It isn't healthy to sit in here all day."

"No thanks," I said, placing the empty bowl on the stand beside Levy's bed.

"Make sure to eat something, okay?" She said.

I grunted, taking Levy's hand in mine. Lucy put the oxygen mask back over Levy's face before she left. Wendy had completely healed her body, and even her hair had recovered from the burns, but she still needed the oxygen to breathe. From time to time, she would stop breathing completely, so the oxygen was her lifeline. _Until she wakes up._ I kept reminding myself that Levy was still alive in there. That she would wake up one day. "I love you, Shrimp, so don't die."

**_~Levy~_**

_ How long has it been?_ I thought to myself. Once again, I opened my eyes to find myself in the same dream. Over and over again I had had it. Every time it was the same thing.

"Levy, baby, come on now," my mother, Lillian, said as she pulled me out of bed in the middle of the night. I knew it was a dream, because my parents were dead. They had died when I was just a child. As my mother grabbed my arm and pulled me into her bedroom, I was in my adult body.

"Phillip," my mother said, turning to my father, "what are we going to do?"

"We'll just have to fight him," he told her.

"I want to help," I pleaded as she tried to shove me under the bed.

"Levy, just do what mommy says, alright?" She pleaded, looking afraid. As always, she ignored my offers to help, and treated me like a child. Knowing how it would end, I did as she said, closing my eyes tightly when I heard the door rip apart.

_Make it stop_, I pleaded as my parents began screaming. I could hear Marley's voice as he laughed at them. Once they were dead, he flipped the bed off of me, and pulled me off the ground by my hair.

I didn't struggle. So many times I had lived through the pain of his clawed hand plunging through my stomach that I barely even noticed it anymore. I wanted it all to end. Every time Marley killed me, I could feel another crack forming in my soul. I was just waiting for it—and me—to shatter completely.

_When it does, will all of this be over? Will I finally stop living through this nightmare over and over again?_ As Marley threw my quickly fading body to the floor, I looked to the side, waiting. I smiled when I saw red eyes approaching me, and I let go.

_Gajeel._ He always showed up—just before I died. Just before I had given up all hope. He reminded me that my world wasn't only pain, that there was some joy there, too. He was my joy. I loved him so much that I could cry. But, just as quick as it had come, the joy vanished as I once again opened my eyes to my mother dragging me out of bed.

"Levy, mommy needs you to come with her," she said, gently. "Come quickly."

I followed her into the bedroom, sitting quietly as she asked my father what to do.

"Mom, let me help you fight," I begged, grabbing her arms. I could feel the tears soaking the front of my nightgown as I stared into her eyes. "Please."

"Levy, you can't fight, you're too weak," she said, kissing me on the forehead. "Now, get underneath the bed, and don't make a sound."

"Please, I want to fight," I cried, even as she helped me under the bed.

"Lillian," my father said.

"I love you, Levy," she told me before standing to face the exploding door.

I sobbed as they screamed, wishing there was something I could do. _Why won't they let me help? I can fight Astaroth. I know I can._

"How rude, not saying hello to your old friend." Marley sent the bed flying, and picked me up by the hair. "Hey there, Sunshine."

I didn't say anything, waiting for the pain of his killing blow. When it came, I bit my bottom lip, refusing to cry out. He chuckled and threw me to the floor, disappearing. Although I knew I was going to die yet again, I turned my head and waited for Gajeel. I smiled when I saw him. No matter how many times it happened, I could never stay awake after I saw him. He was always just out of my reach.

I think I hadn't given up yet for that single reason. I wanted him to hold me, even if it was only one more time. I wanted to feel his strong arms around me, filling me with hope and strength. Part of me knew, though, that if he ever _did_ reach me, that would be my last dream. I would finally be done with all of the pain and sadness which had become my entire existence. I would be free.

It was terrifying to think about, but it was also comforting. Not having to live through the same nightmare again and again would be such a relief.

"Levy, come with mommy, quickly." I opened my eyes as I was once again pulled out of bed. _Please, not again. I don't want to watch them die again._ For the first time since I had began having the dream, I felt panicked. After the third time, I came to expect it, so it never surprised me when they were killed. It hurt just as badly, but I never felt panicked or surprised. This time was different.

For some reason, I found myself fighting against her as he dragged me into her bedroom. "No!" I shouted. My heart pounded against my ribs as I fought her. _I can't do this again. It has to stop! Please, just let me die!_

"Levy!" My mother snapped, grabbing both of my arms and shaking me hard. "You are in danger. You have to get under the bed and be quiet, alright?"

"No," I pleaded, sobs racking my body as I met her eyes. "You're going to die. I can't watch it again."

"Do as your mother tells you," my father commanded, hugging me, "we'll protect you."

"We're all going to die," I whispered into his chest.

"Get under the bed." My mother helped me crawl under their bed, and I held out my hand for the pillow I knew she would give me. As soon as I had it, I buried my face into it and began sobbing. _Please, let me die. Please, let me die_, I kept thinking to myself as their screams echoed throughout the room.

I screamed when Marley tossed the bed aside and grabbed my hair. "Please, just let me die," I begged, closing my eyes tightly.

"Don't you dare die on me!" I gasped, and both Marley and I looked to the side. _This isn't right. He isn't supposed to come yet. Why is he here?_ Gajeel stepped forward, his body covered in iron scales, and his arm transformed into a sword.

He sliced Marley in two before either of us could react. A small, gasping sob escaped my throat when he returned to normal and caught me. He hugged me tightly against him, stroking my hair.

"You aren't supposed to be here," I whispered, clinging to his shirt as I sobbed.

"I love you, Shrimp, so don't die." He kissed me hard, and then disappeared.

"Come back!" I shouted, getting to my feet. Everything around me turned black, and I was engulfed in nothingness. I started running, not sure where I was going. _I can't die. I can't leave Gajeel._ I had to find him. Somehow, through the haze and emptiness, I had to find him. _He's waiting for me._

**_~Gajeel~_**

"Another day," I sighed, getting dressed.

"Are you ready to go?" Lily asked me, waiting by the front door as I made my way into the living room.

"Yeah, let's go," I nodded, following him. We walked in silence to Fairy Tail. It had already been another week. We parted ways once inside, and I went to the infirmary.

"What's goin' on?" I asked, noticing Makarov, Wendy, and Porlyusica all standing around Levy's bed. Wendy's eyes filled with tears when she saw me, and she focused her gaze on the ground. I rushed forward, fear stabbing me in the chest like a knife. "What happened?"

"Last night, she took a turn for the worse," Makarov said, turning to meet my eyes. "She stopped breathing, and it took everything Wendy had to get her to start breathing again. Since then, it has happened two more times."

"Why's she here then?" I asked, looking at Porlyusica.

"Because Wendy is too kindhearted," Porlyusica said.

"What does she mean?" I looked at Makarov, a bad feeling sinking into my core.

"Gajeel, it's time to let her go," he finally sighed.

"What?" I gaped at him, not sure I had heard him correctly.

"This evening," Porlyusica said, "we're going to remove her oxygen."

I had lunged at her before I had time to think about it. Makarov's arm shot out, and he knocked me to the ground before I could reach her. "Wendy, get Natsu," he said, calmly.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her!" I snarled, trying to get at the old woman.

"Whoa, calm down, man!" Natsu said, grabbing me from behind.

"Take him outside to cool off," Makarov told him.

I cursed as I was dragged outside. Lily and Lucy followed us out the doors. When Natsu released me, I punched him in the face.

"Not cool, Gajeel!" Lucy yelled at me. I ignored her, punching him again.

"Hitting me isn't going to bring Levy back!" Natsu shouted as his fist met my jaw.

"Shut up!" I growled, swinging at him. He dodged and punched me in the stomach.

He crouched down when I fell to the ground, wheezing. "We're all hurting, alright? Do you really think Levy would be happy if she saw you acting like this?"

"Go to hell."

He grabbed my shirt and jerked me off the ground, frowning at me. "Instead of acting like an idiot, you need to get it together—for Levy's sake. Calm down, shut up, and go hold her hand while you still can. She would want you there beside her, so don't let her down."

"I can't," I whispered, falling to my knees when Natsu let go of me. "It's my fault she's in there. Now that I know she isn't going to wake up, how can I face her again?" There was an annoying lump in my throat, so I swallowed hard.

"Then go apologize!" He punched me again, looking angry. "If you feel so bad, then that's even more reason for you to go to her! Tell her you're sorry before it's too late!"

"That's enough," Lucy told him, putting her hand on his shoulder. She was crying hard, and I saw that Lily was too, although he was trying to fight it. Watching them, I thought the lump in my throat was going to strangle me, so I cleared my throat and got to my feet.

"You're right," I said, "thanks."

"Don't mention it," Natsu nodded, putting an arm around Lucy, "now go."

Makarov and Porlyusica looked up when I came back through the infirmary doors. "Sorry," I murmured, "about before."

"It's alright," Makarov sighed.

"Can I be alone with her?" I asked.

"Let's leave him," Porlyusica said, dragging Makarov from the room.

A few hours. That was all the time I had left with Levy. And then she would be gone to me forever. I sat beside her bed and held her small hand in both of mine. She looked really pale, and her breathing sounded strained.

I closed my eyes as I laid my head at her side and, for the first time in my life, I cried.

I must have fallen asleep, because someone tapped on my shoulder, saying it was time. Wendy, Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and Lily were all there, their eyes filled with tears. Someone said that Jet and Droy hadn't wanted to be there when it happened, so they both left while I had been asleep. I didn't blame them. I wanted to run away, but I stayed.

Porlyusica went to the other side of Levy's bed, and removed the oxygen mask and tube in her nose. The small hunter took a deep breath, as if searching for air that she couldn't find, then fell completely still. Slowly, everyone began leaving, knowing there was nothing else they could do.

"Gajeel—" Lily began, his eyes red and puffy.

"Leave him," Makarov said, looking just as bad.

When they were gone, I finally stood. My body had no feeling in it. It was like every sense of feeling had been ripped from my body, leaving me empty. I bent down and wrapped my arms around Levy, holding her tightly against me. I couldn't even cry. I just closed my eyes and held her, wishing I could somehow take her place.

Gently, I laid her head against her pillow and moved blue bangs out of her face. I pressed my lips against her forehead before straightening. "Goodbye, Shrimp." With the numb feeling still wrapped around me, I walked towards the doors.

"Ga...jeel."

At the noise, I froze in my tracks and turned around. I stared, incredulous, as tears made their way down my face. "Levy."


	19. 18: I Love You

**_~Levy~_**

I was so tired. It felt like I had been running for days... maybe even moths... but I had no way of knowing how long it had actually been. I couldn't tell where I was going, either. Everything was pitch black. It stretched out for as far as I could see—in every direction. I could have been running in circles for all I knew. Hell, maybe I wasn't going _anywhere_ at all. But, even with those thoughts of doubt filling my mind, I continued running.

_I have to reach Gajeel. I need to make sure he's alright. I need to tell him that I love him._ The thoughts ran through my mind like a tape, helping to chase away my doubts. If it would lead me to Gajeel, I would run forever.

Suddenly, I seemed to run off the edge of a cliff. I fell down...and down...and down. I tried screaming, but nothing would come out. It was hard to breathe as air whipped around my face, so I took short, ragged gasps. Everything was still black, so I had no idea if I was nearing the bottom. Or if there even _was_ a bottom.

_It feels, so warm._ The air around me suddenly wasn't as cold as it had been, nor was it leaving me breathless. For the first time since I had fallen off the cliff—since I had started having the repeating nightmare—I took a deep, filling breath. That's when I felt it. I finally hit the ground. It wasn't painful, like I thought it would be, but I felt heavy. I could also feel all of my limbs, something I hadn't been able to do in an eternity.

_Am I going to wake up for real this time? Or am I just having another dream?_ I heard shuffling, and I cracked my eyes open. I was in the Fairy Tail infirmary. _I'm not dreaming. I'm really alive._

"Goodbye, Shrimp," I heard someone whisper. When I turned my head and saw Gajeel, tears stung my eyes. I tried to call out to him, but I couldn't get my voice to work. Finally, when he was almost to the door, I managed a small croak. "Ga...jeel."

His head whipped around immediately. His red eyes were wide in shock as he stared at me, almost as if he didn't believe what he was seeing. "Levy," he said, tears running down his face. I knew something was terribly wrong. Gajeel didn't seem like the type to get emotional, so if he was crying, there was something wrong. _Maybe I really am dead._

"You—you were—" He slowly walked over to my bed, the look of disbelief never leaving his face.

"Sorry," I smiled, reaching out to grab his hand. He wrapped his fingers around it and squeezed. With a shout of joy, he pulled me into his arms, burying his face in my hair as he held me. I cried against his chest, knowing I wasn't dreaming, that I really had woken up. _I don't know how I managed to survive that, but I did. And Gajeel's alright, too._ I had been so worried that something had happened to him during the explosion, but he seemed to be fine.

"Gajeel, what are—" I heard Master gasp, but I didn't look up from Gajeel's chest. I never wanted to let go of him. There were suddenly a few footsteps running into the room, and several reactions very similar to Gajeel and Master's. _They act like I was dead and came back to life._

Then I really thought about. Why were they all so shocked to see me? I knew I had to have been in really bad shape, but they act like they're seeing a ghost. All too soon, Gajeel pulled away. He sat in a chair beside my bed as Lucy's arms wrapped around me. She sobbed on my shoulder, mumbling things I couldn't hear all too clearly.

"How—How are you feeling?" Lucy asked, wiping snot from her face as she stood up.

"I'm—huge!" I gasped, noticing her bulging stomach for the first time. "When did you get so big?"

"You've been in a coma for over three months," Wendy said, standing on the other side of my bed.

"What? Is that why you're all acting so shocked to see me?"

"When your condition plummeted last night, we decided that it would be best not to keep you in the coma anymore," Master explained, looking sad. "A few moments ago, we removed the oxygen which had been keeping you breathing all this time. You went very still after that, and we thought—"

"We thought you were dead," Lucy cried.

"Sorry," I told them, still a little overwhelmed.

"Don't be," Makarov smiled, patting my hand, "you're alive and talking to us. That's the best news we've gotten in a long time."

"Jet and Droy?" I asked, looking around. I didn't see them among the teary-eyed group standing around me.

"Happy's on his way to get them," Lily said, hopping onto my bed. The fur on his face was soaking wet, and his eyes were all puffy like everyone else's.

Smiling, I pulled him into a hug and scratched his ear. "I missed you, Lily."

"You two," he mumbled, looking slightly embarrassed, though, he hugged me back.

"What happened to Astaroth?" I asked, looking at Gajeel.

"Dead," he told me, giving me a small smirk, "you blew his ass to bits."

"That's good," I sighed, suddenly feeling so tired.

"We should let her rest," Makarov said when I yawned. He ushered everyone but Gajeel and Wendy out of the room. Wendy stayed behind to check on me with her powers, and Gajeel simply refused to leave.

Wendy checked all of my vitals before giving me a clean bill of health. "I'm so glad you're awake, Levy," she smiled.

"Thanks for everything, Wendy," I said. She nodded, then left Gajeel and I alone.

"I don't know how ya did it, Shrimp, but ya did," Gajeel told me. His eyes had returned to their normal size, but he still looked a little shocked. "I was worried there for a second."

I leaned my head against the pillow and looked up at the ceiling with a sigh. "I wouldn't have blamed you for losing hope, you know," I said. "I was in a coma for three months."

"If it had been me laying there, would you have lost hope?" He asked.

I met his red eyes and gave him a smile. "Not even if you laid here forever."

He chuckled, ruffling my hair with his fingers. "I knew you wouldn't die. You're too damn stubborn."

"You're calling _me_ stubborn?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Now _that's_ rich."

"Shut it, Shrimp," he grinned.

"You—" A yawn cut me off, and he chuckled again.

"Get some rest."

"Stay," I said, grabbing his hand.

"I ain't goin' anywhere, Shrimp."

**_~Gajeel~_**

It had been four days since Levy woke up from her coma. Although Wendy had advised her to take it easy for a while, she was already up moving around. She waved as I entered the cafeteria, smiling brightly. God, I had missed that smile.

"Did you hear the great news?" She asked, still smiling.

"I just got here," I said.

She frowned at me, "I wasn't sure if Lily had told you."

"What's the great news?" I smirked.

"I get to go home today! Master has banned me from missions for another week, but I get to go home and sleep in my own bed! I can't wait. I'm going to take a nice hot bubble bath, read a book or two, and just lay in my bed." She was practically glowing with joy as she spoke, which made me smile.

Natsu snickered at me, puckering his lips and batting his eyelashes like some idiot. Lucy suppressed a giggle as she gave him a hard jab in the side with her elbow. "Oh, that reminds me!" Levy suddenly gasped, getting all of our attention.

"What?" I asked. Before I could react, she smacked me on the top of the head with a book. "What the hell?!" I exclaimed, shielding my face as she hit me again.

"_That_," she huffed, sitting back down and breathing hard, "was for agreeing to follow Astaroth just to protect me." She hit me again, "and _that_ was for—something else." Her face suddenly turned scarlet and she grew quiet.

Lily raised a questioning eyebrow at me, but I shrugged. "For what?"

"Never mind," she said, turning an even darker shade of red—if that was possible.

"If you're gonna hit me, you could at least tell me why."

"For shooting me, right after..." She trailed off as she whispered, giving me a meaningful glare.

"Wha—_oh_," I said. For some reason, _my_ face even heated up a little. _For shooting her after we had sex. Yeah, that'd piss me off, too._

"What are you two whispering about?" Lucy asked, smirking.

"Nothing!" We both shouted, causing her to laugh.

The rest of that day went by like all of the others since Levy had woken up. We sat at the same table for a long time, just talking to everyone. Mostly we were catching her up on everything she missed while in a coma. Then, as everyone started to head home for the night, I sat beside her and grabbed her hand under the table.

"I'm going on ahead," Lily told me with a yawn. I knew it was probably close to midnight.

"Yeah. See ya."

"Goodbye, Levy," Lily smiled at her. For some reason, he looked almost sad as he left, but I shrugged it off, figuring he was just tired.

"Gajeel, would you walk me home?" Levy asked, staring up at me with her wide hazel eyes.

"Sure, Shrimp," I nodded. I held onto her hand as we walked along the path to Fairy Hills. It felt strange, walking beside her. I hadn't gone anywhere with her since the day our bond was broken, and that hadn't really been the best situation.

"Well, we're here," she said.

I looked up, sighing. We had already arrived at the gates of Fairy Hills. I didn't want to leave. Honestly, I wanted to ask her to just live with me forever and take her home with me, but that was a stupid thought.

"Um, Gajeel?"

"Hm?" I looked down at her.

"I know you already walked me all the way here, but would it be alright if I went to your house for a little bit? There was something I wanted to talk to you about, but I didn't want to do it at Fairy Hills. If it's too late, I—"

"Let's go," I said, grabbing her hand as I turned around. "If you wanted to come over, you should have just said so. I wouldn't have cared."

"I didn't want to impose—"

I cut her off with a smile. "You'd never be imposing, Shrimp." She returned my smile, nodding. There was something sad in the way she was smiling, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

"Lily's probably already asleep, so we can talk in the living room," I said, opening the front door for her. She went inside and took a seat on the sofa after taking off her shoes, looking nervous. "Want some tea?" I asked as I threw my boots to the ground beside hers.

"N-no," she said, staring down at the clenched fists resting on her knees.

"What is it, Shrimp?" I asked, not liking how nervous she seemed.

"Gajeel, I—I wanted to apologize to you."

"For what?" I sat next to her, frowning.

"It was wrong of me to come here after I learned the truth about Astaroth—and even more wrong of me to act like it never happened. I was being selfish, and only thinking of myself, and you got hurt because of it. I made you think it was just a dream. I'm sorry. I should have just apologized after it happened. Or I never should have come in the first place—"

"Hey," I said, lifting her chin with my hand, "you don't have to apologize for that."

"Yes, I do," she said. She met my eyes, looking on the verge of tears. "What I did wasn't right."

"Do you regret what happened that night?" I asked. She looked caught off guard, but then shook her head.

"No, I don't. Nor do I regret what happened the night before Astaroth made you shoot me. I—I love you, Gajeel."

**_~Levy~_**

"I—I love you, Gajeel." _There, I said it._

He just stared at me for a long time. I sighed when his hand dropped from my face, thinking it was too late. _After everything that happened between us, I wouldn't blame him for not feeling the same way anymore._

"Say it again," he said, quietly.

"What?" I looked at him, startled.

"Say it again. I want to hear you say it again." He put his hands on my shoulders as he spoke, meeting my eyes with a searing gaze that made me feel hot all over.

"I love you," I whispered. His lips were against mine before I had barely enough time to finish. I immediately tangled my hands in his hair, pulling him closer.

When he pulled away to breathe, he pressed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. "I wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming," he said.

"No," I smiled, putting my hands on his face, "you aren't dreaming. I love you, Gajeel."

"I love you, too." He opened his eyes and met mine, smiling.

I pressed my lips against his, gently. His kissed me back just as gently, wrapping his arms around me. My hands traveled down to his chest, and he inhaled sharply when I parted his shirt to explore his abdomen with my fingers.

He pulled me into his lap, rubbing my thighs as he slowly pushed up my dress. Just as he was about to pull it over my head, he let it fall back into place and pulled away, placing me back onto the sofa. "Sorry," he mumbled, looking embarrassed. "You're still recovering—"

"I'm fine," I smiled, kissing him again.

"But—" I cut him off with another kiss, this time crushing my mouth to his. He responded with a small moan as he kissed me back. For several minutes we sat there, absorbed in the feel of each other's lips. Finally, Gajeel seemed to reach his breaking point, because he picked me up off the sofa, and carried me out of the living room.

As the night ended, and we both collapsed onto the bed, Gajeel pulled me into his arms and kissed me. He moved bangs off of my sweat-drenched forehead, smiling at me. "I love you, Levy."

"And I love you," I smiled, kissing him back. He chuckled when I yawned. Pulling the blanket over us, he told me to get some sleep. Almost immediately, I had fallen asleep against his chest.

I awoke with a small groan in protest. My entire body ached as I climbed out of Gajeel's arms and got out of bed. _I overdid it. My body isn't back to full strength yet. _I threw my clothes on before going to the living room to grab the bag I had been carrying the night before. As quietly as I could, I returned to Gajeel's bedroom and sat beside him on the bed.

I smiled down at his sleeping face for a long time, a painful throbbing in my chest increasing with each passing second. I placed a small envelope on the stand beside his bed, then bent over him. I pressed my lips against his as tears ran down my face in hot rivers, and gave him one final kiss. Then, I left.

**_~Gajeel~_**

"Morning," I grinned as soon as I was awake. I went to wrap my arms around Levy, but was met with an empty bed. I opened my eyes, staring at the empty space. I sat straight up, looking around for her. "Shit," I cursed, noticing her clothes were no longer in the floor. I threw my boxers and pants on before running out of my bedroom. Her shoes were gone, too.

I rushed back to my bedroom, intent on putting on a shirt and going to find—and question—her, when I noticed the envelope on my nightstand. "What's this?" I frowned, picking it up. The words "To Gajeel" were written on the front in neat handwriting that I immediately recognized as the Shrimp's. I sat down on my bed as I ripped it open. Inside were several pieces of paper, folded neatly and addressed to me. I unfolded them, realizing it was a letter from Shrimp. Curious, I sat on the bed, leaned my back against the headboard, and began reading.

_My Dearest Gajeel,_

_ It has been three days since I woke up from my coma. Which means tomorrow will be my last day in Magnolia. Hopefully, there will be no need to even give you this letter because I have already told you everything I wanted to. If I haven't, then that's why you are reading this. I'm sorry it's such a long letter—I know how much you hate to read. I just...there are so many things I want to tell you...that I want you to know._

_ First of all, I want to thank you. You came into my life like a storm, changing it faster than I could keep up with. When I finally realized that I had fallen in love with you, I had already fallen too far to come back. At the time, that frightened me. I have spent my entire life pushing feelings like that away. I told myself that, until Astaroth was dead, I wasn't allowed to love anyone. Well, as you always seem to do, you crashed right through that barrier I had set for myself. And you have knocked down every one I tried to set for you since then. I don't know if you realize it, but you are a truly amazing person, Gajeel Redfox._

_ I also wanted to clear up a few things. When I say my last day in Magnolia, I mean it quite literally. Before you came to Fairy Tail, I had been doing research on a certain clinic in the Northern part of Fiore. They are a special sanctuary for demon hunters who wish to leave their old lives behind and start a new one._

_ That's where I am going. Please, don't come after me. I decided on this the day after I woke up, and this is what I want. Now that Astaroth is dead, I can no longer bring myself to be a hunter. After the worry I caused everyone, I know that I don't want to put anyone through that again—especially you. You have shown me a love that I will never find again, and I have caused you great pain. I know you would tell me not to worry about it, or to stop blaming myself, but the fact still remains that I caused you pain. If I stay in Fairy Tail, I will only do it again. I don't want to ever see that look of worry in your eyes again, so that is why I must go._

_ The sanctuary I am going to will take good care of me, so don't worry. Once I arrive, they will give me a new identity, somewhere far away from Magnolia. Then, before I leave to start my new life, they will erase my memory._

_ I can imagine how shocked you probably feel as you read this, but I am telling you the truth. They have developed a special system to erase people's memories—as far back as you'd like. I am having them erase everything. All the way back to the day before my parents died. I don't know what kind of explanation they will give me in the form of new memories to fill the gap, but at least that pain will be gone, right? You must think I'm foolish or a coward to choose something like this, but please understand that it is what I want._

_ While I don't want to forget anyone in Fairy Tail, I need to do this. Everyone else has already been made aware of my plans, so don't worry about them. Also, please don't be mad that they kept this from you. I couldn't bare to tell you in person because I knew it would hurt too much, so I hid the truth until I could give you this letter._

_ I can understand if you hate me after this, and I am sorry. Hurting you is the last thing I want to do, so that is why I have to leave. I beg you to remain in Fairy Tail and let me go. By the time you read this, I will probably already be on a train, anyways. If you love me as much as I love you, then please, trust me._

_ Although my memories of you will be erased, I don't believe I will ever forget how happy you have made me. In such a short amount of time, I fell in love with you, and I will never let that feeling go. If we do happen to meet again in the future, would you do me a favor? I know it's a lot to ask, considering how much I am already putting you through. But, if we should ever meet again—even though I won't remember you—would you let me know you're doing alright? I think that, even if I am a little confused, it would still make me happy deep down to know you are doing well._

_ After all of that, I don't really have anything else to say. I know that I could never apologize enough for hurting you like this, but know that I love you. Gajeel Redfox, I love you more than I can even put into words. When I think of you, my entire soul seems to spin with happiness, and I feel like I can do anything, as long as you are beside me. I hope you feel the same way I do._

_ So, this is goodbye, Gajeel. I hope we get to meet again some day, and I hope you find true happiness._

_ I love you, forever and always,_

_ Levy McGarden_

I stared down at the last page of the letter, unable to move. I was having difficulty even breathing. _She left? She's going to have her memory erased?_ I couldn't believe it. Even as I went into the living room, I couldn't believe what I had read.

When I took a seat next to Lily on the sofa, I noticed he looked like he had been crying. "She's really going to leave?" I asked, pleading for him to tell me what I wanted to hear. _Tell me this is all just a sick joke._

He nodded, sadly. I was out of the house in one quick movement, racing towards the train station. _If I'm lucky, the train will still be there._ When I got there, and didn't see a train, I searched for a man in the train station uniform. When I found one, I grabbed him by the front of the shirt. "When does the first train out of Magnolia leave?" I asked, desperately.

"F-Four hours ago, s-sir," he said, looking frightened.

I dropped him and sank to my knees. I punched the ground hard, feeling it crumble around my knuckles. "DAMN IT!" I shouted, punching the ground again. Four hours. She had been gone for four hours already. _She's gone._

A few drops of water hit the cement around my knuckles, and I realized they were tears. Like a damned fool, I was crying again. Worse, I was in the middle of the train station. After my little explosion, I'm sure there were more than a few people staring at me, too. Oddly enough, I didn't care. I was overwhelmed with so much grief that I had no room inside of me left to spare them a thought.

_Levy is gone. Forever._

"Gajeel." I felt Lily's paw on my arm. I lifted myself off the ground, trying to get back any sense of dignity I might have still had. "I'm sorry," he said, looking down. "She asked us not to tell you."

"I know," I told him, scratching his ear, "I'm not mad at you."

"We should go to Fairy Tail." He looked up at me as he spoke, and I could tell he was sad, too.

"Yeah," I nodded, "I'll catch up to you in a minute."

"Alright." He walked towards Fairy Tail, allowing me to be alone for a little while longer.

I turned back to the train tracks, staring at them as though that would somehow bring Levy back to me. Knowing it wouldn't, and that she wouldn't want me to mope around, I took a deep breath.

With one final glance at the tracks, I thought of the small blue-haired hunter, and I smiled. "I love you, too, Levy."


	20. Epilogue

I sat at the small round table in my back yard, soaking in the warm sunlight as it settled on my skin like a blanket. I was reading the evening paper, and couldn't help but chuckle to myself. "Those Fairy Tail hunters sure do cause a lot of trouble, don't they?"

"Mommy! Mommy, look!"

"What is it, Silas?" I asked, smiling at the look of excitement on my son's face.

"I found a kitten!" He cried, holding up the small white cat. "Can we keep it, mommy, _please_?"

"Sure," I nodded, knowing how much he loved cats.

"Thank you!" He screamed, hugging the cat. He ran into the house with it, going on about finding the perfect name for the kitten.

I gave a small chuckle as I watched him disappear. _Next month will be six years since I left Fairy Tail._ The morning I boarded the train, I had every intention of going to the hunters' sanctuary and having my memory erased. That is, until I had felt a sharp, burning pain in my left wrist. Then the mark had appeared. Black, just like Lu-chan's. I knew immediately what that meant, and I couldn't bring myself to go through with my plan. I was going to have Gajeel's baby, and I felt sick at the thought of living under the lie that the child could belong to anyone else. I didn't _want_ to have anyone else's child. So, I got off the train at the next stop, bought a ticket, and went West.

Every time I looked into my son's red eyes, and brushed through his thick black hair, I was reminded of Gajeel. Every once in a while, the pain of being away from him threatened to consume me, but I always fought through it. For Silas's sake. He was my entire world, and I loved him a little more every day.

I felt guilty for never contacting Gajeel and telling him about Silas, but I knew that was for the best. He believed I had forgotten about my past life as a hunter, so I just let him continue believing it.

_Besides,_ I thought, staring up at the blue sky, _Gajeel has done such great things while I've been gone. I would only hold him back._

Three years after I left, Gajeel had managed to bring the council's crimes into the light, exposing the awful things they had been doing to women who had been marked. While they let the public believe demons kidnapped and killed the half-breed children, they had devised a special unit of hunters to perform the dirty task. After that, the guilty council members were all arrested and stripped of their titles, and a new council was elected—Gajeel being one of those elected.

Never in a million years would I have imagined Gajeel Redfox as the leader of the hunters' council, but I was happy for him. Unfortunately for the other council members, Gajeel refused to play by anyone's rules, and continued to take jobs as a hunter for the Fairy Tail organization. He left a path of destruction behind him on every job, so I knew the other council members must have given him hell all the time. It made me smile, thinking about how well he was doing.

He had changed several laws, and made it legal for dragon hunters to marry humans—declaring that they were half human, so they should have that right. Of course, Natsu and Lucy had been the first couple to get married. Their daughter had been the flower girl at their wedding. Since then, they had become representatives for an organization Gajeel created with Natsu to help other half-breeds like them. So many had escaped the old council that I was actually surprised. As it turned out, most half-breeds appeared more human than demon. This made the public accept them much easier than they might have otherwise.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, and I sat the paper down onto the table.

"I'll get it!" Silas announced, running for the door.

"Silas, wait," I called. I never let him answer the door, always afraid it would be my past catching up to me. Today, that's exactly what it was.

"Hello!" Silas said, throwing the door wide open.

I couldn't move as I stood just inside the living room. _But, how did—_

"Wow!" Silas exclaimed, looking up, then back at me. "Mommy, look! Look at his face! He has red eyes just like me!"

"Gajeel," I breathed, still only able to stare at him. His large frame took up my entire doorway, and he seemed just as shocked as I was. He stared down at Silas in complete silence, as if trying to piece something together. After an agonizingly long time, his eyes lifted, meeting mine.

"What's his name?" He asked.

"I'm Silas," he told Gajeel.

Gajeel looked back down at the boy, slowly reaching out to place his hand on the top of Silas's head. "Hey, Silas."

"Guess what?!" Silas grinned, never the shy type. "My mom just let me have a cat! I'll go get him!" He ran up the stairs leading to his bedroom, leaving Gajeel and I alone.

"How did you find me?" I asked, still in shock.

Without saying a word, he crossed the living room, reaching out and grabbing onto my arm. Suddenly, I was against his chest, his arms wrapped firmly around me. "I'm the leader of the hunters' council," he chuckled, "I can find anyone I want."

"Why are you here?" I asked, burying my face in his warm, familiar chest as I cried.

"Because I'm selfish," he sighed. "I tried letting you go. Believe me, I did." He pulled back and looked at me, "but I can't. I refuse to let you go, you hear me? Especially not now that I—" He swallowed hard, falling silent.

"Gajeel—"

He pressed his lips to mine before I could say anything more. In that one moment, the six years we had been apart seemed to fade away. I still loved him as much as I had the day I left Magnolia, and I could tell that he felt the same.

When he pulled away, he held me tightly. "Please, don't _ever_ leave my side like that again, Shrimp."

"S-sorry," I cried, not realizing truly _how_ _much_ I had missed him over the last six years. Even that awful nickname. My heart throbbed painfully when he said it, reminding me that it had been so long since I had last heard it.

"Promise me," he said. I could have sworn he was crying, but I never looked up to check. Instead, I squeezed him hard and pressed my cheek against his chest.

"I promise."

**THE END**

**Thank you so much for reading Bound By Hate! I hope you enjoyed the story! :D**

**Also, there will be a second book in the series, titled "Bound By Love" (****so original I know)**** so keep an eye out for that one, too! ^_^ I'm going to post the sneak peak in the next chapter, then I'll start posting the actual story tomorrow! **

**Once again, thanks so much for reading! 3**


	21. BBL Sneak Peak

**Here's the sneak peak to Bound By Love! :D I'll begin posting it tomorrow! **

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me as soon as my feet hit the ground from the train. After so long, why now? Why was everything suddenly happening _now_?!

People knew who I was—I was hard to miss being taller than most people—and rushed out of my way as they saw me running. I was sure the news had reached Magnolia first, so the sad looks people were giving me weren't all that surprising. I didn't pay any attention to them. I just kept running.

When I saw the Fairy Tail flag up ahead, I knew I was finally close to headquarters. My heart was beating so fast that I thought I might have a heart attack before I even got there.

No, I had to be the strong one right now. Even though my throat felt tight, and my eyes stung, I had to keep it together.

I didn't slow up as I reached the doors, and threw them open as I ran inside. My red eyes searched the room, looking for the only person I wanted—_needed _—to see.

"Gajeel," Master Makarov said, his eyes dark with sadness as he looked at me. Even after I had been the head of the hunter's council for four years, master still called me by my name. Everyone in Fairy Tail did, and I appreciated it. I hated being called "councilman Redfox".

"Where is she?" I asked. He would know who I meant.

"In there," Master sighed, pointing towards the infirmary.

I rushed to the doors, but paused with my hand on the doorknob. Honestly, I was afraid. After six long years of being apart, we had finally come back together as a family. And now—I took a deep breath. _If I had just stayed away, this wouldn't have happened. They could have stayed in hiding, but I brought them back into the spotlight._

Slowly, I opened the infirmary doors and went inside. I spotted her immediately. She was laying with her head on the mattress, resting on her folded arms. Her blue hair was laying around her, and I noticed some of it was slightly purple—stained from blood.

"Levy," I said, quietly.

"G-Gajeel," she whispered, lifting her head at the sound of my voice. My legs nearly gave out at the sight of her. While on the train I had somehow fooled myself into thinking this whole thing had just been a joke, that none of it was real. But now, looking at her, I could no longer deny the truth.

Her left eye was swollen completely shut, and the skin surrounding it was a horrible yellow-purple color from the newly forming bruise. Her cheeks had abrasions all over them, and there was a larger cut right under her swollen eye. Her bottom lip was busted, too.

She ran to me, and I put my arms around her, holding onto her tightly when she began sobbing. "G-Gajeel," she chocked, "they—they—" She cut off, unable to finish.

For the first time since entering the room, I looked down at the bed she had been sitting beside. I felt my chest constrict, and I had to close my eyes.

After six long years, I had finally gotten the love of my life back—along with the most wonderful son anyone could ask for. And only a short time after bringing them back to Fairy Tail, that short-lived happiness was crumbling around me.

Laying there on the bed was Silas. His face was just as bad as Levy's. His small body looked even smaller against the white sheets he was laying on. The only difference between their injuries was the large claw wound.

Going straight through his chest.


End file.
